Ipinatitigil na ng grupong Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) sa World Bank ang pagpopondo sa fossil fuel projects at kanselahin na ang fossil fuel debts sa mga mayayamang bansa.
Ayon kay Lidy Nacpil, coordinator ng APMDD, nagsagawa ang kanilang hanay ng kilos protesta sa harap ng tanggapan ng World Bank sa Taguig para kalampagin ang mga ito at imulat ang masamang epekto sa kalikasan.
“The World Bank cannot deny what has long been established by science. Fossil gas and LNG emit harmful air pollutants even before they are burned and burning fossil gas produces greenhouse gasses, especially methane. We call for justice for all peoples in climate-stricken and debt-burdened countries in the Global South,” pahayag ni Nacpil.
“We do not need financing for more fossil fuel infrastructure. We need meaningful debt cancellation, instead of emergency loans that only worsen debt accumulation and bind countries to austerity conditions. Start with canceling all debts for fossil fuel projects which contributed to exacerbating the climate crisis. They are illegitimate debts that, in all fairness, climate-affected peoples should not be compelled to pay ,” dagdag ni Nacpil.
Sinabi naman ni Flora Santos ng grupong Oriang na hindi lamang ang Pilipinas ang umaaray sa climate change kundi maging ang ibang bansa.
“People are also protesting in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan where World Bank funding for fossil fuel projects continues to pour in, and where people are drowning in debt and in climate change-induced floods,” pahayag ni Santos.
Tinukoy ni Santos ang Pakistan na nawawalan ng $50 million kada araw dahil sa debt payments.