By Rodolfo Dacleson II
(March 7, 2025) – Labor leader Luke Espiritu on Friday raised concerns about using liquified natural gas (LNG) as a replacement for coal energy, stressing that it would only worsen climate change.
He said it also delays the country’s transition to renewable energy. He claimed that electric industries favor LNG as it protects their profits from the potential hefty cost of renewable energy since burning fossil fuels for energy production is planned to be abolished worldwide.
“Obligado na ngayon (ang mga bansa) na bawasan ang coal. Ang sabi ng mga bilyonaryo sa industriya ng kuryente ngayon, ‘Paano kami kikita nang bilyun-bilyon kapag alisin ang coal?’ Kaya ang solusyon nila, huwag muna tayong magmadali na mag-renewable energy,” said Espiritu, who’s running for senator in the 2025 midterm elections, in a speech in Iligan, Lanao del Norte.
In 2015, 196 countries, including the Philippines, adopted the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030 by limiting emissions of greenhouse gas, which traps heat within the Earth, intensifying climate change.
Espiritu, who’s also a lawyer and environmental advocate, criticized the policies that allowed the expansion of LNG in the Philippines, saying it would keep the country’s long-term dependence on fossil fuels.
“Ang sabi nila, imbis na mag-renewable energy tayo, mag-liquified natural gas tayo. Sabi nila kasi ‘natural gas’ (naman),” added Espiritu.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), LNG emits significant amounts of methane, a type of greenhouse gas over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in over 20 years.
IEA reported that the demand for LNG increased by 2.8% in 2024.
ALSO READ: Philippines will experience more ‘destructive typhoons’ if fossil fuels continue, says group
In January, Pres. Bongbong Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12120 or the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act to add natural gas to the country’s energy sources.
Environmental groups have repeatedly urged Marcos to prioritize shifting to renewable energy amid the country being devastated by climate change in recent years.
(PM)
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