Environmental groups are urging President Marcos Jr. to certify the Climate Accountability Bill as urgent and for Congress to pass it in the 19th Congress.

The Climate Accountability (Clima) Bill, filed in Congress late last year, is the first climate accountability bill in the world. It empowers those who demand compensation and will provide the country with a mechanism to oblige companies to be more transparent about their carbon emissions. It also provides financial assistance to the most affected communities after a national disaster.

In a protest led by Greenpeace before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Tuesday, Virginia Benosa-Llorin, Greenpeace Philippines’ senior climate justice campaigner, emphasized that the passage of the Clima Bill is the most effective means to ensure that entities such as large fossil fuel companies are made to pay for the harm and damage they cause.

“The climate vulnerability of the Philippines has long been established. But in the past week we’ve seen it live on video, photo, and news reports on the effects of the southwest monsoon intensified by Super Typhoon Carina, and the oil spill threatening coastal communities around the bay. As we’ve seen, the most vulnerable and marginalized sectors in the country are hit the hardest by the climate emergency,” Llorin said.

The groups also asked the DENR to demand accountability and payment from the MT Terranova, which caused an oil spill off the coast of Bataan that is currently spreading in other fishing areas, as well as from other violators.

“Leaked industrial oil from the MT Terranova and the MTKR Jason Bradley is causing an environmental disaster that will just get worse in the days to come. This is an unfolding economic disaster in one of the country’s most important fishing areas, affecting tens of thousands of communities reliant on marine life in the bay,” Greenpeace Philippines said in a statement.

In his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also asked Congress to pass an enabling law to activate the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF), which was created by the United Nations Development Program to assist countries in dealing with the effects of climate change. The Philippines was chosen to become part of the pioneering LDF board.

However, Climate Tracker Asia said that green groups are not content with the pronouncement saying it lacked concrete actions on climate justice and the use of more renewable energy sources.

In another article, Climate Tracker Asia emphasized the bill’s importance and how it provides hope for victims of environment-related offenses. While the bill ensures reparation for victims, it will also demand other forms of accountability from violating companies and enforces stricter requirements.