Not just a climate change statistic: Derek Cabe on the frontline of the climate crisis in the Philippines

Derek Cabe describes the devastating impact of super-typhoons in the Philippines and advocates for legal accountability for major fossil fuel corporations. He highlights the findings of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights, which linked carbon pollution to human rights violations, and calls for the protection of land and environmental defenders who face violence and 'red-tagging' while opposing coal-fired power plants.

• The Philippines is highly vulnerable to climate-driven weather events despite contributing less than 1% of global carbon emissions. The author cites the devastation of typhoon Ondoy, which left 80% of Manila devastated, and super-typhoon Yolanda in 2013, which caused over 6,000 deaths and displaced millions.
• The Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) concluded that major carbon polluters should be held liable for their contributions to climate change within the country. This finding is intended to provide a basis for future legal actions to hold companies responsible for climate-related human rights violations.
• Environmental and land defenders in the Philippines face severe persecution, including 'red-tagging'—a tactic used to smear activists by associating them with communist insurgents. Over the last decade, 270 land and environmental defenders have been killed in the Philippines.
• The author criticizes the Philippine government for continuing to invest in fossil fuel projects, specifically coal-fired power plants, which he links to environmental degradation, community displacement, and toxic waste pollution.

APA

Cabe, D. (n.d.). Not just a climate change statistic: Derek Cabe on the frontline of the climate crisis in the Philippines. Global Witness. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/not-just-a-climate-change-statistic-derek-cabe-on-the-frontline-of-the-climate-crisis-in-the-philippines/

Chicago

Cabe, Derek. Not just a climate change statistic: Derek Cabe on the frontline of the climate crisis in the Philippines. Global Witness, n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/not-just-a-climate-change-statistic-derek-cabe-on-the-frontline-of-the-climate-crisis-in-the-philippines/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Cabe |first1=Derek |title=Not just a climate change statistic: Derek Cabe on the frontline of the climate crisis in the Philippines |publisher=Global Witness |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/not-just-a-climate-change-statistic-derek-cabe-on-the-frontline-of-the-climate-crisis-in-the-philippines/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cabendnot, author = {Cabe, Derek}, title = {{Not just a climate change statistic: Derek Cabe on the frontline of the climate crisis in the Philippines}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/not-just-a-climate-change-statistic-derek-cabe-on-the-frontline-of-the-climate-crisis-in-the-philippines/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }