Green Agenda Launched to Push for  Pro-Environment Governance in 2025 Elections

Environmental advocates, civil society organizations, and policy experts have united to launch the Green Agenda 2025, a comprehensive advocacy platform promoting ecological integrity, climate justice, and sustainable governance for the upcoming elections.

Held at Max’s Restaurant in Quezon City, the press launch introduced the 11-Point Green Agenda, which outlines urgent policy priorities that need to be addressed by candidates in the 2025 elections. The initiative seeks to challenge political aspirants to commit to pro-environment policies and empower voters to make informed choices that will safeguard the country’s natural resources and future generations.

“The 2025 elections present a crucial opportunity for Filipinos to elect leaders who will uphold environmental protection and sustainable development,” said Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of Caritas Philippines. “We cannot allow destructive policies and greed to dictate our future. It’s time for governance that prioritizes both people and the planet.”

The Green Agenda 2025 is a response to the urgent environmental challenges the country faces, including deforestation, pollution, biodiversity loss, and the impacts of climate change. It calls for concrete actions through the following 11 key priorities:

1. Preserving ecological integrity and biodiversity – Strengthen environmental protection, increase forest cover, restore watersheds, and uphold the Rights of Nature to prevent further ecological destruction.

2. Natural resource and land use management – Implement a national land use policy that prevents unregulated extraction and ensures ecological sustainability in land, water, and forest resource governance.

3. Sustainable agriculture and fisheries – Promote food sovereignty and climate-resilient farming, support small-scale farmers and fisherfolk, and prevent land conversion that threatens food security.

4. Waste management and pollution prevention – Strengthen the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, ban single-use plastics, and transition to a zero-waste economy.

5. Climate justice – Hold big polluters accountable, secure climate finance, ensure disaster risk reduction, and promote a just transition to renewable energy while addressing loss and damage.

6. Mining and extractives – Stop large-scale destructive mining, enforce strict rehabilitation of degraded areas, and repeal laws that allow environmentally harmful mining practices.

7. Energy transformation and democracy – Shift to 100% renewable energy, phase out coal by 2030 and fossil gas by 2035, and reject nuclear power as an energy alternative.

8. Pro-people and pro-ecology sustainable development – Move away from an exploitative growth-driven model and adopt a community-centered approach that prioritizes social and environmental well-being.

9. Upholding Indigenous Peoples’ rights and protecting ancestral domains – Defend the rights of Indigenous communities, stop land encroachment by extractive industries, and promote Indigenous knowledge systems in environmental governance.

10. Building disaster-resilient communities – Strengthen climate adaptation programs, ensure community participation in disaster preparedness, and prioritize local resilience-building initiatives.

11. Integrating sustainable development and Laudato Si’ in education – Incorporate environmental education into school curricula and advocate for climate-proof educational systems and infrastructure.

The coalition urges voters to scrutinize candidates’ environmental platforms and demand accountability from leaders to ensure that the Green Agenda is at the center of governance.

As part of its efforts to amplify environmental action in the 21st century, the coalition launched “G na Kay Gina, G na for Green Agenda”, a modern and dynamic approach to rallying support for the movement.

“G na,” a Gen Z term for “Game Na!” or “Go Na!”, serves as a call to action, especially for young Filipinos, to actively participate in advocating for a greener future. This campaign aims to popularize the Green Agenda through Gina, an avatar designed to personify the movement.

Gina G.’s full name is Gina Gascon, a tribute to two icons of environmental and human rights advocacy—the late Gina Lopez and Chito Gascon. The name resonates with different generations, particularly those who worked closely with or admired these two champions of justice and sustainability.

The avatar Gina is a campaigner and green champion whose presence aims to inspire people from all walks of life to stand up for the environment, demand accountability, and push for pro-ecology policies in governance.

𝙄𝙠𝙖𝙬, 𝙂 𝙠𝙖 𝙗𝙖? 𝙎𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔 𝙙𝙖𝙝𝙞𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙤 𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙮 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙤 𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣, 𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙖𝙣!

𝙂! 𝙉𝙖 𝙆𝙖𝙮 𝙂𝙞𝙣𝙖! 𝙂! 𝙉𝙖 𝙨𝙖 𝙂𝙍𝙀𝙀𝙉 𝘼𝙂𝙀𝙉𝘿𝘼!

For its broader effort to amplify environmental action, the coalition is also supporting the Power of Purple, set to launch on March 29. This initiative will present scorecards evaluating political candidates’ stances on critical development and environmental issues. The goal is to educate and empower voters to choose leaders who will champion ecological protection, sustainability, and climate justice. “Ito rin po ang magiging guide natin paano sila gumagalaw at tinutupad ang kanilang pangako sa usaping Green Agenda at pag natapos sila ay paano natin sila sisingilin. Panawagan sa ating mga kababayan na sana gamitin ang perspective at lente na ito sa kanilang pamimili sa kanilang mga kandidato,” said Ms. Yoly Esguerra, PMPI National Coordinator.

With the 2025 elections fast approaching, the Green Agenda 2025, G na Kay Gina, and Power of Purple campaigns serve as rallying points for a more sustainable and just Philippines, where ecological protection is a priority, not an afterthought.