Leah Guerrero, Greenpeace Philippines Country Director, discusses the global climate emergency, its disproportionate impact on impoverished nations, and the urgent need for climate justice. She highlights the role of fossil fuel companies, the challenges of voluntary international agreements, and the critical waste management issues in the Philippines, emphasizing the responsibility of producers and the push for zero waste solutions.
Leah Guerrero, the Country Director for Greenpeace Philippines and Southeast Asia, recently spoke at the Far Eastern University Public Intellectual Lecture Series about the pressing issues of the environment and social justice. Her insights shed light on the global climate crisis, its disproportionate effects on vulnerable communities, and the challenges and opportunities in addressing waste management in the Philippines.
Humanity is currently at a critical turning point in the natural world, facing what is widely recognized as a global climate emergency. In October 2018, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), comprising hundreds of climate scientists worldwide, released a report warning that the world has only 12 years left to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. The goal is to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius to stabilize the climate and reduce severe consequences for humankind.
Failure to act decisively could lead to runaway climate change, resulting in catastrophic impacts. The Philippines exemplifies a country highly vulnerable to these effects, having experienced devastating events such as Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the most powerful storm ever recorded, which claimed over 6,000 lives.
Beyond extreme weather events, gradual changes like rising temperatures, shorter cold nights, and heatwaves (such as those currently affecting Europe) are becoming the new norm. Since 2008, each year has consecutively been the hottest on record, underscoring the urgency of the crisis.
The climate emergency interacts with localized environmental problems such as water shortages, pollution, and deforestation. These issues exacerbate the difficulty for communities to cope with climate impacts, creating a compounded crisis.
A critical aspect of the climate emergency is its unequal impact. Those who have contributed least to the problem—impoverished nations and marginalized communities—are the most affected. Leah Guerrero emphasizes that climate justice is a framework that views the climate crisis through a rights-based lens, focusing on how the crisis infringes on fundamental human rights such as the right to life, food, and livelihood.
Historically, fossil fuel companies and industrialized nations have been the primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. These entities have profited immensely from fossil fuels, yet the poorest communities bear the brunt of climate change consequences.
A recent statement by a United Nations rights expert highlighted that in the climate crisis, the rich are more likely to survive, while the poor suffer the most. This disparity exists both between nations and within communities.
The Paris Agreement of 2015, an international treaty on climate change, requires countries to voluntarily reduce carbon emissions. However, because commitments are voluntary, many nations hesitate to take actions that might slow economic growth.
Industrialized countries had a significant head start in development and emissions, while developing countries like the Philippines are still trying to follow similar growth models. This creates a disparity in responsibilities and capabilities to address climate change.
The entrenched global economic system, based on unlimited growth and fossil fuel dependency, makes it difficult to break this cycle. Fossil fuel companies wield significant political influence, lobbying to maintain their core business despite the environmental harm.
While technological advancements have been made, the dominance of fossil fuel companies impedes a swift transition to renewable energy. Greenpeace and other organizations advocate for these companies to acknowledge their role in the crisis, cease fossil fuel extraction and production, and invest massively in renewable energy.
Governments must support this transition through policies that facilitate equitable and sustainable energy solutions.
Greenpeace Philippines has taken active steps to hold fossil fuel companies accountable. In 2015, they submitted a petition to the Commission on Human Rights, demanding accountability from 40 fossil fuel companies for human rights abuses linked to climate change impacts.
This petition, supported by affected communities such as fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, and Yolanda survivors, frames climate change as a human rights issue. The hearings in 2017-2018 built a strong case that these companies are responsible for the climate emergency.
Beyond legal accountability, this initiative empowers communities to assert their rights to life and livelihood against the systemic harms caused by fossil fuel industries.
Accountability involves several key demands:
Despite cultural tendencies in the Philippines to avoid wastefulness—such as reusing items and keeping possessions for long periods—the country faces significant waste management problems, particularly due to single-use plastics.
Single-use plastics, including sachets and packaging materials, are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment for centuries. Greenpeace's partner, the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), reported that the volume of plastic sachets discarded annually in Metro Manila alone could cover the entire area three feet deep if laid flat.
These plastics end up in landfills or incinerators, both of which have detrimental environmental effects.
The current waste management approach focuses on dealing with waste after it is discarded, rather than managing resources from production to disposal. Greenpeace promotes a zero waste framework, emphasizing resource management throughout the product lifecycle.
A significant justice issue arises because companies producing single-use plastics profit from their products but do not contribute to managing the resulting waste. Instead, local governments and taxpayers bear the financial and environmental burden.
Companies often frame waste as a litter problem caused by consumers, but Greenpeace argues that producers must take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products.
Leah Guerrero's lecture highlights the intertwined nature of environmental and social justice issues in the Philippines and globally. The climate emergency demands urgent, equitable action to protect vulnerable communities and the planet.
Holding fossil fuel companies accountable, transitioning to renewable energy, and adopting sustainable waste management practices are critical steps toward climate justice. Empowering communities to assert their rights and demanding systemic change can help break the cycle of environmental harm and social inequality.
The time to act is now, as the window to avert the worst impacts of climate change is rapidly closing.
