“Verde Island Passage is under siege”: Advocates at Our Ocean Conference Fossil Fuel Expansion as a Human Rights Crisis
Busan, South Korea — As global leaders convene at the 10th Our Ocean Conference (OOC) in Busan, South Korea, the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), in collaboration with international organizations, emphasized the increasing threats facing the biodiversity-rich Verde Island Passage (VIP) and the broader Coral Triangle. The think-tank stressed that the expansion of gas and liquified natural gas (LNG) infrastructure in the VIP and other marine hotspots constitutes a violation of human rights.
OOC brings together governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector to address important ocean-related topics such as climate change, the loss of biodiversity, food security, and pollution.
In a side event co-hosted by CEED, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), and Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC), experts discussed the implications of offshore oil and gas activities to the marine environment. One of the focuses is the VIP, an important area in the Coral Triangle, which is at risk from the increasing development of fossil gas and LNG infrastructure.
“The Verde Island Passage in the Philippines and the Coral Triangle are under siege by massive fossil fuel expansion. This buildout of fossil gas and LNG projects is a direct assault on the oceans, the environment, and the fundamental right of individuals and communities to a healthy environment. Fossil fuels do not just exacerbate climate change through emissions, but also impair our adaptive capacity for resiliency-building,” said Gerry Arances, Executive Director of CEED.
A total of 135.6 gigawatts (GW) of gas power plants are planned in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, a proposed expansion of 14.37 GW of gas capacity within the VIP, which is being pushed by financial institutions from the Global North, including those from Europe, America, and Japan.
Drawing attention to the climate impacts, Arances underscored the threat of methane leaks from gas infrastructure, which is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in triggering global warming.
“The science is clear: fossil gas is a dangerous and polluting energy source. It cannot be considered a transition fuel, especially in a biodiversity hotspot like the Verde Island Passage,” said Arances.
CEED, together with international partners, is leveraging the platform of the OOC to call on the Philippine government and international stakeholders to urgently recognize the risks associated with fossil fuel expansion in ecologically critical marine areas like the VIP and the Coral Triangle. This aligns with the growing global movement advocating for a “Fossil-Free Ocean,” which recognizes the harmful effects of offshore oil and gas activities on marine ecosystems and coastal communities worldwide.
Arances emphasized that the Philippines and neighboring Southeast Asian countries possess abundant renewable energy sources and urged governments to prioritize energy transition and the use of these renewable sources in their respective countries.
“The Philippines, like the rest of the rest of the Southeast Asia region, possess abundant renewable energy sources that can power development without sacrificing our marine ecosystems and the rights of our people,” he said. ###
