March for Climate Justice
March for Climate Justice Philippines - November 28, 2015
In the Philippines, to see people marching on the streets with colorful costumes, streamers, and banners, followed by a band playing loud and upbeat music, signify that there’s a fiesta going on. On the other hand, to see people gathered by the roads, chanting protests, would mean totally different - there is a rally. This time, however, it was a little bit of both.
Last November 28, 2015, many people flocked Quezon City Memorial Circle to march for climate justice. This was held in line with the Global Climate March happening in 150 other countries prior the COP21 in Paris. COP21 refers to 21st Conference of Parties, wherein global leaders discussed and agreed on actions to take in the future that will prevent climate change from reaching catastrophic levels.
Spearheaded by the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, the march in Quezon City is just one of the many staged marches across the country; other sites (in Luzon only) were in Semirara Island, Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Laguna, Bataan, and Zambales. Given that the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, it is paramount for people here to stage a nationwide mass action. It is time everyone in the world considers more seriously and carefully the negative impacts of carbon emissions and our reliance on fossil fuels.
Many people from different sectors of society came together, may it be religious groups, labor unions, youth organizations, even groups of foreigners, just to name a few. Hearts all beating as one, we lobbied for Climate Justice around the 25-hectare QC circle.
Among the themes that echoed during the protest are energy transformation, right to food, land, and water, justice and reparations for affected people, protection of our common home, jobs and just transition, and youth. I was part of the Cut it Deep, Cut Now group demanding the increase in global temperature be limited to 1.5°C. Whether it’s reducing exposure to severe drought, flooding, spread of disease, intensity of typhoons or sea level rise, scientific studies conclusively say the damage will be profoundly reduced by staying within 1.5° of warming --- which was actually SUCCESSFULLY agreed upon in COP21 a few days after the global march! YES, you read that right!
For the first time in COP history, representatives to the COP21 finally reached a universal and legally-binding agreement on climate change last December 12. One of the agreed upon terms is that developed and developing countries will ensure and are required to limit their emissions to relatively safe levels - 1.5°C. Finally! If you want to see list of other agreed terms, check this link: http://www.c2es.org/international/negotiations/cop21-paris/summary.
COP21, as well as the March for Climate Justice Philippines, were momentous. I’m really proud to have been part of this grand, festive, and historic march. However, this is just the first step in the battle against climate change. There’s still a lot to be done, one of which is standing by the agreement. I hope the Philippines, the government and its people, act and contribute to this fight as it is our homes and lives that hang in the balance.
