Nanawagan ang environmental group na Greenpeace Philippines kay Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. na dapat na samantalahin nito ang pagkakataon na talakayin kay EU President Ursula von der Leyen ang anila’y “krimen” sa kalikasan ng mga kompanya at bansa sa European Union.
Inilabas ng mga environmentalist ang pahayag sa okasyon ng pagdating ni von der Leyen sa bansa para sa isang state visit.
“President Marcos meets with the EU President at a time when the country is reeling from Typhoon Falcon (Kahnun) on top of the devastation brought by Supertyphoon Egay (Doksuri). He should not waste this opportunity to call for climate reparations from the EU’s big polluters—both countries and corporations—that have contributed the most to the climate crisis. He should also hold the EU communities to its obligations under the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5 degrees and demand these countries to phase out fossil fuels and ensure a just transition to renewable energy,” ani Jefferson Chua, Greenpeace Philippines Climate Campaigner sa isang pahayag na ipinadala sa Pilipinas Today.
Para naman kay Greenpeace Philippines Zero Waste Campaigner Marian Ledesma, dapat na ietsa-pwera ng “Team Europe Initiative on Green Economy” ang pekeng solusyon para malunasan ang problema sa polusyon sa hangin dulot ng incinerators, at huwag ilako ang ideya sa Pilipinas.
“The Team Europe Initiative on Green Economy should exclude false solutions such as co-incineration in cement kilns and waste-to-energy incineration as these are banned under Philippine laws. The EU should not use the Philippines as a dumping ground of dirty technology that they themselves have identified as unsustainable, and which they recognize has significant climate and environmental impacts. President Marcos should instead ask European nations to mandate their corporations operating in the Philippines to reduce their plastic production and invest in large scale refill and reuse systems—some models already exist in the country but need support and scaling up,” aniya.
Nasa bansa si von der Leyen para sa apat na araw na official visit para talakayin ang hinggil sa ugnayan ng dalawang bansa at talakayin ang “matters of mutual interest,” partikular ang kalakalan, green economy, digital transition, at seguridad.
Nauna rito, naglunsad ng kampanya ang Greenpeace Philippines ng Black and White Campaign para naman igiit ang pagpapahinto sa paglikha ng plastic na isa sa pinakamatinding sanhi ng polusyon sa mundo.
—Noel Sales Barcelona/Pilipinas Today