M the Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)
trooped towards the United States (US)
Embassy in Manila on Friday to demand
the US government to deliver its climate
finance owed to the Southern Countries.
This is one of the demonstration series
across Asia led by APMDD to remind the
US of its obligations before the Second
Pledging Conference of the Green Climate
Fund (GCF) to be held on October 5 in
Germany.
PMCJ National Coordinator Ian Rivera remarked: Rich, developed countries
are largely responsible for the climate
crisis. Their rapid and unsustainable
growth is paid for by the destruction of
the atmospheric space, but developing
countries only contribute little to climate
change yet experience the worst effects. It
is only just and fair that these rich countries pay reparation.”
The US is the largest polluter contributing to climate change yet it blocked
the establishment of the Low-Debt Climate Fund (LDF). This fund could have
assisted nations which are most vulnerable and affected by the effects of climate
change, such as the Philippines. Instead,
the US was inclined towards loans to fund
the climate mitigation efforts of developing countries. This would further plunge
these countries into high debt.
Rivera added: “Until today, the US is
still promoting the development of fossil
fuel companies. Together with their corporations, they should be obligated to finance the developing countries and communities to undertake adaptation and
mitigation actions for these countries to
survive the climate onslaught. The Paris Agreement should be geared to create
a system that penalizes dirty and deadly
energy while encouraging the development of clean renewables.”
In the Philippines, climate financing
is crucial in strengthening our climate disaster response and ensuring a just transition to renewable energy. As calamities
ravage the country, communities need to
be equipped with the proper knowledge,
and provisioning of technology, finance,
and infrastructure to face these hazards.
Further, since workers will be displaced as fossil fuel plants shut down,
funding will be required for provisions
until they are trained and designated in
green jobs.
According to PMCJ, the storms will
not wait hence, the US government must
provide climate financing and abide by
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Further, PMCJ expressed
its condemnation of any proposals for
loans.
“It is the rich polluter countries that
must pay this huge climate debt!” the
group said