During a recent Congressional meeting about a bill that will hold polluters accountable and penalize climate denialism, a representative from the industry sector boldly proclaimed that climate change is not man-made. He then claimed that they are one with all Filipinos in dealing with the impacts of this crisis.

No one who is truly in touch with the plight of the most vulnerable would ever say these words.

The scientific basis of the climate crisis has already been globally acknowledged for years. Our country recently went through six storms in just one month, including four storms along the Western Pacific at the same time, which has never happened before. 

To still be spreading disinformation in such a blatant way is just insensitive and disrespectful to the victims of storms, droughts, sea level rise, and other extreme climate impacts. It would also hinder the country’s pursuit of sustainable development and only protect the interests of industries and those paid by the fossil fuel sector, both the international and the domestic ones. 

Pro-business outlook

This is just one example of the many times some Philippine businesses have tried to undermine climate action. If not brazenly denying the human influence of the climate crisis, corporations are engaging in greenwashing practices involving clean-ups of dirty rivers and branding dirty energy sources as “clean” or “climate-friendly”, often without being held accountable by the government.

This is why the current pro-business direction of climate, energy, and environmental policies is a cause of concern for many Filipinos. Without the accompanying mechanisms for regulation and accountability that are properly enforced, these practices would simply continue and bring harm to communities and ecosystems.

Aside from setting the new climate finance goal, arguably the biggest development from the 2024 UN climate negotiations (COP29) involves carbon markets, which the government sees as a main channel to access much-needed financing. With developed countries not paying up for causing the climate crisis and the impacts felt by Filipinos getting worse, it is exploring multiple options to urgently achieve both climate and development goals.

The current climate plans are designed to entice the private sector to provide investments, technologies, and other modes of support. For example, the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Implementation Plan is described as an “aspirational investment strategy” that would speed up renewable energy (RE) development, improve the country’s transport infrastructure, and other strategies.

Even during COP29, there are more notable pushes in the domestic energy sector that would benefit big businesses. While negotiators are figuring out how to transition from fossil fuels to RE, the Senate enacted legislation promoting the expansion of the country’s fossil gas industry, while a forum on nuclear energy promised support for the development of said technologies.

There is nothing wrong with the government trying to secure more financing and support from the private sector. But if it really aims for a “whole-of-society” approach to climate action and national development, then its leaders need to stop showing favoritism to businesses over the non-government sector.

Out of touch

In recent months, I have engaged with many in the business and industry sectors. It surprised me that a few of them are genuinely asking why communities and civil society groups are opposing the programs and policies that businesses generally favor, such as carbon markets. 

It is an indication of just how out of touch many private sector leaders are with the cries of the earth and the poor. This apathy and refusal to directly engage with non-government sectors is the main reason for the raising of eyebrows of the non-government sector every time a business claims to be contributing to environmental protection or climate action.

How can businesses expect the non-government sector to more willingly engage when abuses and incidences of ignoring the law keep happening again? How can they expect it when justice has yet to be delivered after years, even decades of calling for it?

The pro-business direction of many government policies does not exactly help in this matter, either. It does not help when a leader from the business community is appointed as the non-government representative to an entity like the People’s Survival Fund Board. Even senators are calling out the DENR for apparently favoring quarrying companies when discussing the issue of Masungi in a recent hearing.

It also does not help when NGOs fail to get the same opportunities to directly meet with the higher-ups as businesses do, unless they either have millions of investments to give to the country, have doctorates or Master’s degrees or are already close to these officials before their terms in office started. 

What do they want?

What do communities want? They want livelihoods to earn enough to put food on the table, drink water, pay electricity bills, send their children to school, and live well enough. They want to avoid being subjected to abuses and threats from some businesses. They want to protect the natural environment that they depend on for a good life. They want to be treated fairly and justly by the government. They want to have a fair chance to participate in decision-making processes that concern their present and future.

These are not complicated asks; these encompass needs that are covered by universal human rights. 

It is up to the Philippine government to live up to its mandate as duty-bearers that are meant to protect the lives and well-being of communities, especially the most vulnerable, and give a true fair chance for engagement of all stakeholders. They should also ensure that big businesses and industries, especially those from abroad, are not implementing programs and projects that lead to ecological destruction and violations of human rights.

To the leaders [and staff] of big businesses and industries, you are invited to take some time to actually speak with the communities.  

John Leo Algo is the National Coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas and the Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Campaigns of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines. He is also a member of the Youth Advisory Group for Environmental and Climate Justice under the UNDP in Asia and the Pacific. He has been a climate and environment journalist since 2016.