Asian movements call on the 19th ACEF: The push for a rapid and just transition to clean energy must be backed by concrete and near-term timelines to phase out fossil fuels and phase in renewables

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

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