6 Pinoys off to Turkey for climate change summit

MANILA, Philippines - Six young Filipino leaders will be traveling to Istanbul, Turkey to participate in a climate change summit.

The Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment (PNE) yesterday said the summit, dubbed “Global Power Shift,” will be held at the Istanbul Technical University from June 24 to 30.

Global Power Shift is organized by 350.org, a youth-led network and movement started by environmental writer Bill McKibben, in order to organize and strategize national level movements to address climate change in countries across the region and also worldwide.

The first phase takes place at the summit, where 500 young climate leaders from 133 countries will convene to discuss and learn strategies for strengthening their local movements in the areas of art and creative activism, non-violent direct action, media and communications, digital campaigning, and policy and advocacy.

The Filipino delegates are Feby Basco-Lunag, representing the Cordillera Youth Network for Global Change; Philline Donggay of the Climate Reality Project; Leon Dulce of the Kalikasan-PNE; John Lumapay, artist teacher; Marjorie Pamintuan of the Asia-Pacific Research Network; and Erin Sinogba, representing Redraw The Line, a climate change campaign led by the Asia-Pacific Media Alliance for Social Awareness.

Kalikasan-PNE national coordinator Clemente Bautista said the six delegates form the core leadership of Power Shift Pilipinas, the national level movement aiming to carry out the second phase of Global Power Shift in the Philippines.

“The delegates represent diverse national environmental organizations and movements, and their combined efforts and networks aim to build massive support toward the common goal of mitigating the effects of climate change in the country. Together, the team has begun a series of consultations with stakeholders and partners throughout the country to build a strategy for confronting climate crisis in the Philippines, particularly by targeting the fossil fuel industry,” Bautista said.

“Climate change is coming at us from all directions, but the good news is, we have the solutions and there is still a chance to turn things around if we act now. That is the essence of the Global Power Shift: the transition from dirty fossil fuel energy into renewable energy in order to prevent the runaway warming of our precious planet,” Donggay, one of the country’s representatives, said.

“In the Philippines, we will confront the coal industry and present solutions to all Filipinos that a complete shift to renewables is possible, easy, and even affordable,” Donggay added.