For the first time since 1951, four strong typhoons hitting the Philippines have emerged at the same time, and super typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) is now threatening the country. Science tells us that the worsening climate change is responsible for stronger typhoons and other weather disturbances.

At the same time, diplomats, scientists, labor leaders and environmental activists are gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan for COP29, or the UN Climate Change Conference. Top UN officials and experts tell us that COP29 is not “fit for purpose” anymore, and won’t make the swift and decisive actions needed to curb climate change.

The typhoons hitting the Philippines highlight truths that we already know: Climate change is real, is a life-and-death issue for many workers and people, and needs urgent and decisive action. Underdeveloped countries like the Philippines contributed little to the emissions causing climate change but are suffering the most from the effects of climate change. 

Entities which are most responsible for climate change – the US, the most developed countries, the oil industry, and the biggest corporations – have an interest in avoiding taking the urgent and decisive steps needed to slow down the phenomenon. The workers and people of the world must band together and mobilize in various ways to force these entities to take action. There is no Plan(et) B!

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) calls on the government of the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to demand that the world economy, led by the US and other developed countries, drastically cut back on burning oil, coal and gas and ensure climate financing, actually their climate debt, to the Philippines and other developing countries. 

We also call on the Marcos Jr government to immediately cancel all business contracts that threaten the country’s environment – from mining to quarrying, and from land-use conversion to land reclamation. The country’s only remaining defense against strong typhoons and other weather disturbances that are made worse by climate change is our environment. 

Successive typhoons are putting into question the Marcos Jr government’s claim of spending huge amounts on flood control projects. Infrastructure projects in the country are well-known breeding grounds of graft and corruption, and the government should investigate current flood control projects and ensure that future projects are corruption-free as much as possible.

We call on the Marcos Jr government to improve disaster preparedness in relation to typhoons and other weather disturbances: with regard to warning systems, community preparedness, evacuation plans, relief and rescue operations, among others. At the same time, the Philippine government has focused on these measures for so long and need to move beyond these. 

We call on the Marcos Jr government to ensure a just transition to renewable energy, in which workers and the poor are not left behind. The planned phaseout of jeepneys in favor of environmentally-friendly public utility vehicles should ensure that the livelihood of transport workers is protected. Workers and the poor are victims, not perpetrators, of climate change.