Greenpeace delivers solar panels to Malacañang

By GREENPEACE
October 14, 2010

MALACAÑANG COMPOUND, Manila – Greenpeace volunteers and members of Solar Generation Pilipinas Youth today delivered solar panels to Malacañang Palace as part of a call to President Benigno Aquino III to lead the Philippines on the road to an Energy Revolution. The group is supporting the President’s vision to become the ‘Renewable Energy (RE) Champion of Southeast Asia’ and is proposing a roadmap to increase the Philippines’ use of RE to 50% by 2020. This uptake of RE will be coupled with the phase out of unsustainable sources of energy, particularly climate change-causing coal power, to propel the Philippines toward a green development pathway.

As part of the activity, Greenpeace activists decorated Malacañang with pinwheels signed by thousands of Filipinos urging “P.Noy” to lead the global Energy Revolution. They displayed banners calling for an “Energy [R]evolution Now!” and for “50% Renewable Energy by 2020.”

“We want President Aquino to enjoy firsthand the benefits of renewable energy. Imagine if we had delivered a dirty coal plant here – or much worse, a dangerous nuclear plant – we doubt that he would relish living beside it. Filipinos want what PNoy wants -- good, clean, dependable energy. PNoy knows renewables can provide that. The Energy Revolution Roadmap that shows how our country can achieve this and more,” said Amalie Obusan, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Climate & Energy Campaigner.

“This is also a reminder to P.Noy that people are rallying behind him on this. Pinoys want to see a concrete plan of action toward making the dream of a carbon-free development future for the country a reality. The Filipino people could be leading the rest of the world in an Energy Revolution,” she added.

The Philippines has enacted a landmark Renewable Energy Law last 2008 which has spurred many RE projects throughout the country. But a lot more needs to be done. The RE Law’s vision to steer the country toward a secure and sustainable energy future, while helping mitigate climate change, must be reflected in the Philippine Energy Plan. This entails a corresponding decrease and phase out of fossil fuel use, particularly coal power which is the single greatest contributor to climate change.

“We are also asking PNoy to come aboard the Greenpeace flagship, the Rainbow Warrior, when she visits Manila this November, to sign on to the Energy Revolution roadmap. Time is running out. While world leaders wait on each other to be the first to commit, people in places that are most vulnerable and least prepared to deal with climate change – like the Philippines – are regularly suffering from the impacts. If the Philippines makes the first commitment to specific targets, this will send a very strong message to other heads of states that they should already be committing substantial targets. Our country could be leading Developing Asia and the rest of the world toward a clean development path and a carbon-free future. PNoy should show the world what true leadership and people power are really like!” Obusan concluded.