Planned green lanes for mining and RE projects criticized

ATM Statement | July 14, 2023

Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) scored the PBBM administration for issuing Executive Order No. 18, which provides the creation of green lanes for strategic investments, including mining and renewable energy projects.

ATM National Coordinator Jaybee Garganera said the creation of green lanes is a “highly questionable trade and investment strategy, especially in light of climate change.”

Garganera pointed out that EO 18 would also mean that mining permits for transition minerals such as nickel and copper could be easily secured at the expense of mining-affected communities.

“This would mean more circumvention of processes for securing free prior and informed consent from affected communities and haphazard environmental impact assessments.”

He added that “when renewable energy projects, such as solar farms and hydro dams disregard the resistance of affected communities and local authorities and proceed to permanently change the land and water use, sustainable development is seldom achieved.”

He also insisted that “fast-tracking the process of securing permits and other regulatory requirements through the green lanes would further drown out the voices of the communities and disregard the negative impacts of RE projects on the environment.”

“We call on government to review its Strategic Investment Priorities and back down on its aggressive promotion of mining and dam projects,” he concluded.