MANILA, Philippines – Drivers of climate change can violate human rights, and this is what the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will look into in the first quarter of 2018.
"The Commission will proceed with public hearings in 2018, despite the refusal of most of the big polluters to so far participate meaningfully. Companies that opt out of the proceedings lose the opportunity to demonstrate commitment to climate protection and respect for human rights," Greenpeace Executive Director Yeb Saño.
Members of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, in a vigil held on December 11, praised CHR's planned public hearings on a petition filed against the world's largest investor-owned fossil fuel and cement producers.
The petition was filed in September 2015. By July 2016, the CHR sent an official order to 47 companies, asking them to answer the complaint filed by disaster survivors, community organizations, and Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
Below are some photos from the vigil:
– Rappler.com