The Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC) called on the government to strengthen climate governance and uphold the rights of communities, particularly in Palawan, as the Philippines fell 12 places to rank 19th in the 2025 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), despite remaining the highest ranked country in Southeast Asia.
“Sa gitna ng tumitinding krisis sa klima at tumitibay na sistema ng katiwalian, mula Maynila hanggang Belém, tayo ay nananawagan: Climate Action Not Corruption,” ELAC said in a statement.
The CCPI gave the country a score of 62.79, with Vietnam in 24th place at 60.65. The index again left the top three spots blank, citing no country performed strongly enough across all categories.
Denmark was effectively in 4th place, followed by the United Kingdom in 5th.
The Philippines scored high in energy use (7th place, 15.82) and greenhouse gas emissions (12th place, 29.97), but low in renewable energy (34th, 6.41) and climate policy (29th, 10.58). The report cited the absence of a net-zero target, weak intermediate targets, and concerns over Article 6 or carbon markets.
“Hindi sapat ang teknolohiya at proyekto kung ang lupa, likas na yaman, at karapatan ng mga katutubo ay patuloy na sinasapilitan at sinasamantala,” ELAC added, emphasizing the need to protect Indigenous Peoples’ land and resources.
The organization also stressed that the energy transition must respect free, prior, and informed consent.
“Kung hindi ito matutugunan, ang tinatawag na ‘transition’ ay magpapatuloy lamang bilang pagpapalawig ng nakagawian: kapangyarihan, agaw-yaman, at kawalan ng katarungan,” the statement read.
ELAC said it joins local and international climate justice networks in pushing for reforms.
“Kaya kasama ang mga ka-kilos sa Philippine Movement for Climate Justice at sa buong mundo, sabay tayo sa pagtindig—para sa isang sistema na nagbibigay-katawan sa tunay na pagbabago: para sa tao, para sa lupa, para sa kinabukasan,” it said.
The call comes as Palawan communities face mounting pressure from large-scale development projects, highlighting the need for climate policies that protect both people and ecosystems.
