Filipino climate activists at the UN COP30 summit in Brazil have called on the Philippine delegation to speak out against the lack of a fossil fuel phaseout plan in negotiations. They describe the government's silence as a diplomatic and moral failure amid recent devastating typhoons at home. The latest draft text omits the roadmap, stalling talks on a just energy transition.
The UN climate change conference, COP30, opened last week in Belem, Brazil, as the Philippines recovered from back-to-back typhoons Tino (Kalmaegi) and Uwan (Fung-wong), which caused widespread flooding and destruction. On November 21, climate justice activist Yeb Saño issued a statement criticizing the Philippine delegation's inaction on the fossil fuel phaseout roadmap absent from the negotiations.
Saño highlighted the human cost, stating, “While the Philippine delegation sits in silence here in Belem, our people are still wading through the floodwaters of Typhoons Tino (Kalmaegi) and Uwan (Fung-wong) back home.” He labeled the silence a “betrayal” of those who lost homes and loved ones, adding, “We cannot claim to be the face of climate vulnerability while sitting on the fence and allowing the fossil fuel apparatus to persist.” Saño called the lack of support a “diplomatic and moral failure.”
The COP presidency released a new draft negotiating text, known as the Mutirão Text, on Friday, which excluded any mention of the phaseout roadmap. This document aims to align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5 degrees Celsius limit through a just energy transition. Support for the roadmap comes from a mix of wealthy and developing nations, yet the omission has deadlocked discussions.
Aksyon Klima Pilipinas, a coalition of climate groups, urged the delegation to lead on an “urgent and just transition away from fossil fuels.” The Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) echoed this, with executive director Avril de Torres describing the silence as “deafening” and the lack of push as “disheartening.” Torres emphasized, “Our climate realities demand that the Philippine government champion not only compensations for loss and damages, but also the formulation of a global roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels as a matter of survival.” She pressed the COP presidency and developed nations to secure a fossil-free future, warning, “We cannot afford to walk away from Belem with anything less.”