Greenpeace Demands Climate Reparations as Typhoon Mawar Menaces the Philippines.

Greenpeace calls for climate reparations as Typhoon Mawar moves towards the Philippines

Background

Greenpeace Philippines has called on fossil fuel companies to pay reparations for climate impacts as the Philippines’ northern provinces brace for storm-force conditions brought on by Typhoon Mawar. The world’s strongest typhoon so far this year, rapidly intensified twice to become a super typhoon, almost matching the strength of STY Haiyan. Although the super typhoon was downgraded into a typhoon early Sunday, it is still expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall, which may cause floods and landslides until Tuesday. With climate change warming ocean temperatures, typhoons are getting more frequent and intense. An average of 20 tropical cyclones affect the Philippines yearly. In the past six years alone, the country experienced 14 super typhoons, and Philippine officials estimate that climate impacts have caused USD 10 billion in losses and damages from 2010 to 2020. Recent Department of Finance estimates show the country may incur as much as PHP 1.5 trillion yearly in losses from natural disasters in the next five decades.

The Call for Climate Reparations

Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Jefferson Chua said, “The Philippines is in a constant state of climate emergency. Super Typhoons are the Philippines’ new normal, even as we are already experiencing longer-term, slow onset impacts such as drought, sea level rise, and diminishing resources. Meanwhile, fossil fuel companies responsible for most of the carbon emissions that have largely contributed to the climate crisis, are still looking to expand their operations, further exacerbating the effects of climate change, even as they rake in huge profits from our people’s suffering.”

Chua renewed his call for fossil fuel companies to pay reparations for losses and damages. Last May, a new study published in the journal One Earth showed how 21 largest oil, gas, and coal companies are “responsible for $5,444 billion in expected lost GDP over 2025-2050, or $209 billion per year,” based on their share of emissions over 1988-2022. The study says that the costs of climate impacts are primarily borne by governments and their taxpayers, by insurance companies, and by uncompensated victims of climate change—even while companies that engage in the exploration, production, refining, and distribution of oil, gas, and coal “bear substantial responsibility for the cost of redressing climate harm.”

The Urgent Need for Action

Typhoon Mawar is a stark warning and a reminder that scientists predict that things will get a lot worse. All over the world, communities that are the least responsible and least able to cope are the ones bearing the brunt of the worsening climate crisis. They are burdened not only with preparing for escalating impacts but also dealing with the anxiety of an uncertain future. But even as communities are doing their utmost to ensure their own future, they are rendered disenfranchised because of the willful inaction of those that have the most responsibility to change.

Editorial and Advice

The climate catastrophe is upon us, and it’s time to act urgently. Climate change is no longer a matter for future generations; it is a present danger that demands collective action from every individual, community, and country around the world. We must hold the culprits accountable, and they must pay reparations. The fossil fuel industry must transition to sustainable energy, and governments must support a green and just recovery from the pandemic. It is time for us to rethink our current relationship with nature and commit to protecting the planet and all its inhabitants. We must work together to ensure that our planet is a livable place for future generations.

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