CHALLENGEOFSOUTHEASTASIANPEOPLES:

ENDFOSSIL-FUEL
DEPENDENCE,A
COAL-FREEASEANNOW!


WE,civilsocietyorganizations,peoplesorganizationsandadvocatesforclimate,the
environment,cleanenergy,andhumanrightsacrossSoutheastAsia,insolidaritywith
andechoingthecalloftheregion'svulnerableandimpoverishedsectors,arealarmed
bytheenergypoliciesbyallASEANmembergovernments,continuingfossil-fuel
dependenceintheregion,despiteitsvariousenvironmental,economic,andsocial
costs.

Asidefromboostingsupportandencouragementforoilandgas,SoutheastAsian
governmentsaresettoincreasetheregionscoaldependenceforitsenergy
requirementswith125GWofcoalinthepipeline.AccordingtotheInternationalEnergy
Agency,coalisprojectedtohavethehighestshareinSoutheastAsiasenergymixby
2040,withtheshareofcoalinpowergenerationrisingfrom32%to50%,contrarytothe
trendseeninmostotherpartsoftheworld.

WerejectASEANssupportforcoalconsideringthevulnerabilityoftheregion's
countriestotheeffectsofclimatechange,accentuatedbythesuccessive
climate-relateddisastersinthepastyears.Wefinditcontradictorytothecommitment
professedbyallASEANmembergovernmentsinsigningtheParisAgreementonthe
Climate,committingtokeeptheworldbelowtheaspirationaltargetof1.5degrees
Celsiusglobalaveragetemperaturethroughdecarbonization.
WerejectASEANssupportforcoalconsideringtheglobaltrendofabandoningnew
coalprojectsandretiringoldcoalpowerplants.Forthepastyear,therehasbeena
globaldropindifferentstagesofcoalconstruction,witha48%dropinpre-construction
activity,a62%dropinconstructionstarts,anda19%dropinongoingconstruction.Coal

plantretirementsaretakingplaceatanunprecedentedpace,with64GWofretirements
inthepasttwoyears,mainlyintheEuropeanUnionandtheUnitedStates.

Thedecreasingsupportforcoalbytherestoftheworldisowedlargelytothevoiceand
engagementofcommunitiesandcivilsocietywhohavebeenintheforefrontinresisting
coalprojectsforitsadversehealth,environmentalandsocialimpacts.Already,
SoutheastAsiaasaregionhashadthemostgrowthinpercapitaemissionssince1990,
withover140%growthinpollution.Theseemissionsareonlysettodoubleby2040.
Thisisdisturbingconsideringarecentstudywhichfoundthatallowingproposednew
coalplantstocontinuewouldleadto55,000pollution-relateddeathsperyearby2040.

Weseethesedevelopmentsascontrarytothepromiseof"leanandgreenASEANwith
fullyestablishedmechanismsforsustainabledevelopmenttoensuretheprotectionof
theregionsenvironment,thesustainabilityofitsnaturalresources,andthehighquality
oflifeofitspeoples,"mentionedintheASEANVision2025.Theyalsorunincontrast
withthepronouncementofASEANnationsinthe2016ConferenceofPartiestothe
UNFCCCinMarrakech,whichrecognizedtheextremevulnerabilityofSoutheastAsian
nationsandtheneedtoscaleupcommitmentsonmitigationandclimateaction.

ThesedevelopmentsandpositionsheldbyASEANnationsregardingdirtyenergyare
unacceptablegiventhedrasticreductioninthepriceofrenewableenergy,especially
windandsolarenergystrandingthecostsofcoalinvestments.Lastyear,solarenergy
pricesinChina,India,Braziland55otheremergingmarketeconomieshavedroppedto
aboutonethirdofitspricein2010,owedlargelytoChinasmassivedeploymentof
solar,andtheassistanceithadprovidedtoothercountriesfinancingtheirownsolar
projects.

Werecognizethatatpresent,thereisaneedforsustainingtheenergyneedsofthe
SoutheastAsianpeoples,withover120millionoftheregionspopulationhavingno
accesstoelectricity.WealsorecognizetheneedfordevelopmentinSoutheastAsian
countries.However,ASEANmembercountriesarenotexemptedfromitsresponsibility
tomitigateitsemissions,especiallyasthewindowforresponsiveclimateactionis
shrinkingbythemoment,andSoutheastAsianpeoplesareamongthoseonthe
frontlineofclimatedisasters.Respondingtotheprevalenceofenergypovertyandthe
urgencyofmitigationandclimateactiongohand-in-hand.

ASEANgovernmentscannotsimplyhidebehindtherighttodevelopattheexpenseof
thepeoplessurvival,needs,andrights,especiallywiththealreadyproven
people-centered,community-basedrenewableenergyinincreasingcleanandsafe
energyaccess,providingvastopportunitiesforemployment,andaswellasfueling
sustainabledevelopment,inordertomeetthedemandsofthepeople,withoutthefatal
coststohealth,livelihood,andtheenvironmentinherentincoal.

WethereforecallupontheASEAN,ledbyitsChairperson,PresidentRodrigoDuterte,to
fulfillthefollowingdemands:

1. Toendtheageoffossil-fueldependencyinSoutheastAsiathroughexample.We
callonASEANgovernmentstoimmediatelyputastoptotheexpansionofcoalin
theregionbycancellingfuturecoalprojects,aswellasremovingallpublic
financingandsubsidiestocoal.

2. Tobeginthetransitionfromcoaltowardsbuildingpeople-centered,
community-basedrenewableenergysystems.
a. Torefrainfromfundingandsupportingfalsesolutionstothepeoples'
climateandenergyconcerns,suchaslargehydrodamsandnuclearpower
plantswhichonlyexacerbatethevulnerabilitiesandreinforcepreexisting
environmentalandsocialillsattheexpenseofSoutheastAsianpeoples.
b. Tostopperpetuatingthemythof"cleancoal"technology,whichnotonly
failinaddressingtheneedformitigation,butalsoinremovingthe
environmental,health,andclimatehazardsposedbycoal.

3. Towalkitstalkwithrespecttotheclimatebymitigatingemissionsbyincreasing
theambitionoftheirnationallydeterminedcontributions(NDCs),reflectiveofthe
urgencyandnecessityofresponsiveclimateactions,andtofollowthroughwith
correspondingadjustmentstoitseconomicanddevelopmentpolicies.

4. Toreflectthecallofvulnerablecountriesindemandingrichcountriesto
recognizetheirhistoricalresponsibilityintheclimatecrisisbyscalingup

ambitionanddeliveringonclimatefinance,technologytransferandcapacity
building.

5. Tocommittotheirfairshareofcontributionstoclimateactionandnotmake
thesefairsharesconditionaltofinance.ASEANcountriesmustnotmaketheir
fairshareofclimateactionconditionaltosupportfromdevelopedcountries.

Finally,weinviteASEANgovernmentstoconsiderthefuturegenerationsofSoutheast
Asiaasabasisfortheirdecisionswithrespecttotheclimate,theenvironment,energy
anddevelopment.Whatisatstakeisnotjusttheworldwelivein,buttheworldweleave
behind.AndweurgeASEANleaderstochoosetoleavebehindaworldwhereinthose
whocomeafteruscanthrive,survive,andliveinharmonywiththeEarth,asweaspireto
liveinharmonyacrossnations.

Signed,
SoutheastAsianWorkingGrouponClimateandEnergy