DUMAGUETE CITY, Feb 23 (PIA)
-- Hundreds of students, teachers, civil society groups and
representatives of the church gathered at Foundation University recently to
join the “Global Divestment Day, Challenges Fossil Fuel Industry.”
350.org Southeast
Asia coordinator, Zeph Repollo said the groups viewed the 'Do the Math' movie
and concluded a symbolic walk from the Cathedral Bell Tower to the Provincial
Capitol in Dumaguete City.
“The event explained a
simple math: we can emit 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide and stay
below 2°C of warming. 2°Cis the number agreed in the Copenhagen accord by
the UNFCCC, but the fossil fuel that corporations now have in their reserves
would result in emitting 2,795 gigatons of carbon dioxide – five
times more from the 2°C target. Fossil fuel companies are set to burn it
all — unless we join together and stop them,” Repollo said.
In the Philippines,
public mobilization and awareness campaign about divestment appeals to Pope
Francis to Divest the Vatican. Churches, among others, should not profit from
the wreckage of the planet.
In January, a letter
of appeal was handed to Pope Francis supporting him to divest the Vatican under
his leadership.
This effort continues
through awareness campiagn in various universities and instituions while
supporting campaigns stopping new coal-fired power plant projects in the
country.
The Global Divestment
Day of action marks a turning point for the movement working to further
de-legitimize the fossil fuel industry.
More than a dozen new
countries will launch campaigns on new targets with thousands more joining this
movement, from South Africa, Nigeria, Japan, France, Ukraine and many more.
New campaign targets
include cities, universities and faith institutions while existing campaigns
will be escalating pressure to accelerate divestment commitments.
Repollo said, while
environmental-activists still face an uphill battle at many institutions,
divestment campaigners are fired up about the year ahead.
“The campaign has
succeeded in sparking an increasingly high profile debate and campaigners are
confident that in 2015 they will continue to de-legitimize investments in this
rogue industry, successfully moving more money out of these fossil fuel
companies and into bold solutions. Global Divestment Day will be another step
in the right direction,” she added. (mbcn/JCT/PIA7-Negros Oriental)