Typhoon Haiyan claimed more than 10,000 lives and displaced more than 750,000 people in less than 48 hours after slammed into the coast of the Philippines Friday.
Greenpeace would like to extend our heartfelt sympathy to the victims of this storm.
Amalie Obusan, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Regional Climate and Energy Campaigner said the following:
The Philippines is certainly no stranger to typhoons or to natural disasters, however recent extreme weather events have become more frequent and more devastating in the last decade because of climate change.Haiyan– the 24thtyphoon to have hit the country this yearis the most powerful typhoon in Philippine history.
With the worsening weather patterns in Southeast Asia, the Philippineswill be made even more vulnerable to climate change impacts.
The need for immediate action to address climate change and to help cope with its negative impacts is especially important and urgent for countries like the Philippines.The on-going climate negotiation in Warsaw, Poland is an important step in delivering a fair, ambitious, binding global climate deal by 2015.ASEAN and its members must use this moment to move for the adoption of political decisions and agreements to ensure that there are concrete actions and resources to address climate change, particularly in countries that are most vulnerable like the Philippines.
Now more than ever is the time to act.Countries need to demonstrate collective humanity by addressing the twin problems of climate adaptation and mitigation.We cannot afford to wait for another off-the-scale typhoon to seize an opportunity. As a country most vulnerable to climate change, the Philippines can champion the massive uptake of renewable energy, increase its resilience and abandon plans for coals and nukes.
