Can the church shift the balance to renewable energy in the Philippines?

Catholic leaders are pressurising the government to drop coal by working with activists and even installing solar panels on church roofs

In June, the Catholic church in the Philippines joined the One Million Against Coal Campaign, which aims to gather at least one million signatures nationwide in a bid to pressure the government to reverse the approval of dozens of coal power plants meant to address the country's energy security concerns.

"We are strongly opposing coal energy because of its negative effects on the health of the people and the environment. Coal plants are the primary cause of global warming," says Father Edwin Gariguez, executive director of Caritas Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action, the church's social action arm.