COP21’s blue carbon trades are not climate mitigation mechanisms but privatization Trojan horse – fisherfolk group
Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya-Pilipinas) reject the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21)’s blue carbon investments, saying this will not mitigate the climate change, but rather, it is just another face of foreign plunder to the marine resources.
The COP21 will be held from November 30 to December 11 in Paris which will be attended by state leaders including President Aquino.
In a statement, Pamalakaya said that unless the root cause of Climate Change is not addressed, no band aid solutions like the blue carbon investments can abate the Climate Change. The fisherfolk group defined that the real cause of the blue carbon degradation particularly in the country is the reclamation, conversion and privatization of Philippine waters.
“In Manila Bay alone, there are 36 reclamation projects covering 26,234 hectares to pave way to eco-tourism projects under President Aquino’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Also in Laguna Lake, there is a grandiose project to construct 47-kilometer expressway road dike and 700-hectare reclamation for commercial and mixed use. These entire ‘development projects’ at the expense of our marine environment and lives of the fisherfolk and the people living in coastal areas!” Salvador France, Pamalakaya Vice-Chairperson said in a statement.
“While these industrialized countries led by the United States offer false solutions, they fail to identify the cause of climate change. Ironically, the ones who are vocal and aggressive in campaigning in mitigating the climate change are the ones who are the top Greenhouse Gas (GHG) producers in the world!” France added.
The United States is 2nd of the world’s topmost GHG emitter at 15%, next to China at 29%. The US through United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is also funding ‘development projects’ in the coastal areas that push for widespread reclamation and conversion of the Philippine waters. These projects results to environmental and coastal degradation.
“These foreign projects have caused marine ecosystem disturbances such as fish kills and depletion of fish catch. Thus killing our fishing industry and making the fisherfolk and other sector depending on fisheries suffer.”
“The super profit-obsessed foreign corporations create solutions to the Climate Change that will more aggravate its severe impacts to the environment and to the people. Responsible uses of energies, conservation instead of reclamations on our marine resources are the genuine solution to contain the impacts of Climate change and to bring climate justice and social justice to the people.” France ended. ###
