How CHR's human rights inquiry impacts fossil fuel divestment

THE rise of fossil fuel divestment in the Philippines has been slow for the past few years, partly due to a lack of enabling environment for corporations. Yet a recent development may have just provided the much-needed boost for this trend to accelerate.

On May 6, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) officially publicized the findings of its National Inquiry on Climate Change (NICC). The seven-year inquiry focused on examining whether fossil fuel corporations or "carbon majors" can be held liable for human rights violations associated with climate change impacts.