June 3-7, 2024
We are civil society organizations and peoples’ movements across Asia campaigning for climate justice and working with communities in the frontlines of the climate crisis. We call on the clean energy experts, practitioners, policymakers, implementers and financiers who gather in Manila for the annual Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) to walk their talk on accelerating the clean energy transition.
The term “accelerating” is thrown about each year by ACEF, a forum regarded as a premiere clean energy event for discussing how to accelerate progress to build a clean energy future for Asia and the Pacific region. But this should not be about some distant future. We are already seeing and experiencing the devastating effects of climate change, such as extreme climate events and disasters. To avoid a climate catastrophe, countries agreed under the Paris Agreement to stay below 1.5C level of warming. This requires a reduction of global emissions by 45% by 2030 and reaching zero emissions by 2050. This means a rapid, just and equitable phasing out of fossil fuels and replacing them with clean, renewable energy systems, particularly solar and wind.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), without strong, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the risks and adverse impacts from climate change will escalate with increasing global warming. The latest IPCC report has found that emissions have increased global average temperatures by at least 1.1 degrees Celsius. Unless countries drastically transform their economies and immediately transition away from fossil fuels, the world is likely to surpass the 1.5C climate threshold by the early 2030s.
It is not acceptable to play fast and loose with the climate goal of transitioning to clean energy. The task at hand is not merely to accelerate the transition but to rapidly transition with clear targets and timetables and within a deadline consistent with keeping temperature rise below 1.5C. The push for a clean energy transition must be backed by concrete timelines to phase out fossil fuels and phase in renewables.
We call on ACEF participants to:
Phase out coal in all of Asia by 2035
The phase out of coal, the single biggest source of global temperature increase, is crucial to Paris’ goal to reduce emissions. Paris requires coal phase out by 2030 in the OECD countries and by 2040 in the rest of the world. We strongly call on ACEF participants to enable Asian countries to achieve coal phase out by 2035 and a just and equitable transition to 100% renewable energy sources by 2050.
A rapid decline in coal use and production in Asia and total coal phase out by 2035 needs to happen to enable ambitious climate mitigation actions and climate-resilient development. The focus of the coal market has been shifting to Asia. Since the 2000s, coal consumption has grown strongly in China, India and ASEAN.
The latest report of the International Energy Agency (IEA) noted steep declines in coal demand in almost all advanced economies, but the demand growth in emerging and developing economies more than offset the decreases globally. Strong demand in China and India, as well as in Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines together represent more than 70% of global coal demand. China and India have also increased their coal production output since 2021 to cope with high electricity demand.
Meanwhile, the latest report of the Global Energy Monitor (GEM) has found that global total coal power capacity grew 2% in 2023. The increase came from the 47.4GW of coal power capacity that came online in China in 2023, which accounts for two-thirds of the global rise in operating coal power capacity. Notable increases in operating coal capacity were also recorded in Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Korea.
Shift energy finance from fossil fuels to renewables; Deliver on Climate Finance obligations
Achieving Asia’s just transition to clean energy requires significant financing to rapidly phase out coal and enable the rapid integration of more renewable energy capacity, particularly wind and solar, into the energy mix in the region. We call on international and Asian public financial institutions to make an immediate, wholesale shift from fossil fuel financing to renewable energy financing. It is deplorable that public financial institutions, as well as private banks, continue to finance and underwrite fossil fuel projects. This is despite warnings that there is no more room for new oil, gas, and coal within this decade if we want to keep global warming below 1.5C. Governments touting the urgency of a clean energy transition can make this happen quickly if they will shift all energy subsidies and financing to renewables now.
We also call on governments of developed countries to fully deliver on their climate finance obligations, part of which is funding rapid and just energy transitions in developing countries in Asia and the rest of the Global South. We cannot accept more evasion of their responsibilities and shifting the burden on the Global South.
Wind and solar must supplant fossil fuels in the energy mix
In Asia, millions of people still lack access to electricity, while many more are making do with unreliable but costly electricity or dirty fuel that leads to premature deaths. Renewable energy is cheaper than coal and other fossil fuels, particularly gas, which the fossil fuel industry and its enablers are touting as a necessary transition fuel to replace coal. Renewables can provide accessible and affordable power for all.
Renewables, particularly solar and wind, are growing fast. The latest data shows that wind and solar are growing faster than any other sources of electricity in history. The rise of wind and solar has been stemming the growth of fossil fuel power, which would have been 22% higher in 2023 without them. Unfortunately, the growth of renewables is not fast enough. An agreement was reached among governments at COP28 to triple renewables by 2030. This should be the minimum target. We need to build and deploy renewable energy urgently, at the scale and speed required to fully supplant fossil fuels in the energy mix, meet the increase in energy demand in the coming year, and have 100% renewable energy by even before 2050. There is vast untapped potential in Asian countries, more than enough for this to happen.
We call on ACEF delegates to push for the implementation of policies for rapid, equitable, and just transition to one hundred 100% renewable sources of power by 2050 and do away with false solutions and technologies. Fossil fuel corporations and other ACEF participants are still putting false solutions on the table, such as hydrogen, carbon capture utilization and storage, ammonia, and promoting gas as a transition fuel. These are dirty sources of energy that only serve to entrench fossil fuels and continue to profit from them, ultimately delaying the clean energy transition.
Signed:
REGIONAL/GLOBAL
Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)
Asian Energy Network (AEN)
Focus on the Global South
Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives Asia-Pacific (GAIA Asia-Pacific)
LDC Watch
Mekong Watch
Migrant Forum in Asia
NGO Forum on the ADB
People of Asia for Climate Solutions (PACS)
Recourse
South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE)
350 Asia
NATIONAL MOVEMENTS AND NETWORKS
350 Pilipinas, PHILIPPINES
ActionAid Bangladesh, BANGLADESH
Aksi! for Gender, Social and Ecological Justice, INDONESIA
Aksi Ekologi & Emansipasi Rakyat (AEER), INDONESIA
Akhuwat Kissan, PAKISTAN
All India Women’s Hawker Federation, INDIA
All Nepal Peasants’ Federation (ANPFa), NEPAL
Alternative Law Collective (ALC Law), PAKISTAN
Aniban ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA), PHILIPPINES
Anjuman e Muzareen e Punjab, PAKISTAN
ASR Resource Center, PAKISTAN
Bangladesh Adivasi Samity, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Bacolight Shramik Federation, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Bhasaman Nari Shramik, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Bhasaman Shramik Union, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Chattra Sabha, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association/FOE-Bangladesh (BELA/FOE-Bangladesh), BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Jatyo Shramik Federation, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Krishok Federation, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Kishani Sabha, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Krishok Sabha, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Bhumiheen Samity, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Rural Intellectuals’ Front, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Sangjukto Shramik Federation, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh Shramik Federation, BANGLADESH
Beaconhouse National Uni, PAKISTAN
Break- free Pilipinas, Break – free from Fossil Gas, PHILIPPINES
Camarines Norte Movement for Climate Justice, PHILIPPINES
Center for Financial Accountability (CFA), INDIA
Centre for Human Rights and Development, MONGOLIA
Charbangla Bittoheen Samobay Samity, BANGLADESH
Cholistan Development Council, PAKISTAN
Clean and Green Khai, PAKISTAN
Climate Activists Collective, PAKISTAN
Community Developers Association (CDA), PAKISTAN
Community Initiatives for Development Pakistan (CIDP), PAKISTAN
Concerned Citizens of Sta. Cruz , Zambales, PHILIPPINES
Crofter Foundation, PAKISTAN
Digo Bikas Institute, NEPAL
Dhoritri Rokhhay Amra (DHORA), BANGLADESH
Emarat Nirman Shramik Bangladesh, BANGLADESH
Equity and Justice Working Group, Bangladesh [EquityBD], BANGLADESH
Feminist Collective Pakistan
Freedom from Debt Coalition, PHILIPPINES
Friends of the Earth (FOE-Japan), JAPAN
FUNDACION Chile Sustentable, CHILE
Ganochhaya Sanskritic Kendra, BANGLADESH
General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions, GEFONT
Gilgit-Baltistan Social Welfare Organization, PAKISTAN
Haqooq e Khalq Movement, PAKISTAN
HImalaya Niti Abhiyan (HNA), INDIA
Home Net Pakistan, PAKISTAN
Human Rights Alliance Nepal, NEPAL
Human Rights and Development, MONGOLIA
Indus Consortium, PAKISTAN
Jago Garment Workers’ Federation, BANGLADESH
Kiko Network, JAPAN
Kilusan para sa Kabuhayan,Kalusugan, Kalikasan, at Katiyakan sa Paninirahan sa Quezon City(K4K), PHILIPPINES
Kissan Ikkat, PAKISTAN
Kissan Karkeela, PAKISTAN
Kissan Ravi Club, PAKISTAN
Koalisyon Isalbar ti Pintas ti La Union (Coalition to Save the Beauty of La Union), PHILIPPINES
KOTHOWAIN (Vulnerable Peoples Development Organization), BANGLADESH
La Verita Onlus Bangladesh chapter (V.O.I.D.), BANGLADESH
Labour Education Foundation, PAKISTAN
Labour Qomi Movement, PAKISTAN
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC), PHILIPPINES
Lok Sujag, PAKISTAN
Mineral Inheritors Rights Association (MIRA), INDIA
mines minerals and People (mmP), INDIA
Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation (MSN), MALAYSIA
Motherland Garment Workers’ Federation, BANGLADESH
Nadi Ghati Morcha, INDIA
National Hawker Federation (NHF), INDIA
Oriang Women’s Movement, PHILIPPINES
Oyu Tolgoi Watch, MONGOLIA
PakAid, PAKISTAN
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), PAKISTAN
Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee (PKRC), PAKISTAN
Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), PAKISTAN
Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), PHILIPPINES
Piglas- Batangas, PHILIPPINES
PF Nash Vek, KYRGYZSTAN
Philippine Movement on Climate Justice (PMCJ), PHILIPPINES
Paryavaran Sanvardhan Samiti, INDIA
Pittacchara Forest and Biodiversity Initiatives, BANGLADESH
Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED), PAKISTAN
Progressive Peasants’ Council, BANGLADESH
Progressive Student’s Collective, PAKISTAN
Quezon for Environment (QUEEN), PHILIPPINES
Ready Made Garment Workers’ Federation, BANGLADESH
Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN), NEPAL
Sanga, PAKISTAN
Sawera Foundation, PAKISTAN
SDG Action Alliance, BANGLADESH
Sindh Hari Porchat Council, PAKISTAN
Solidaritas Perempuan (SP), INDONESIA
South Asia Partnership Pakistan, PAKISTAN
Sukaar Welfare Organization, PAKISTAN
SANLAKAS, PHILIPPINES
S.A.V.E Luna, PHILIPPINES
Tameer e Nau Women’s Worker Organization, PAKISTAN
Textile Powerloom Garments Workers Federation, PAKISTAN
Tagapagtanggol; ng Kalikasan sa Pagbilao (TKP), PHILIPPINES
Trend Asia, INDONESIA
Vision Building Future, PAKISTAN
Visionary Forum, PAKISTAN
Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE), BANGLADESH
WALHI (Friends of the Earth-Indonesia), INDONESIA
Waterkeepers Bangladesh, BANGLADESH
Water Initiatives, INDIA
We Women Lanka Network, SRI LANKA
Young Reformers, PAKISTAN
Youth for Climate Justice –Mindanao, PHILIPPINES
Youth for Climate Justice –Tacloban, PHILIPPINES
ZALIKA ( Zambales Lingap Kalikasan), PHILIPPINES
Zambales Movement for Climate Justice, PHILIPPINES
Zone One Tondo Organization (ZOTO), PHILIPPINES