I-Witness: ‘Climate Justice,’ a documentary by Howie Severino (with English subtitles)

Summary

The documentary links the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in Leyte to the broader demand for climate justice. It argues that climate change is driven largely by human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels, and that communities least responsible for emissions often bear the gravest costs. Yolanda’s victims, including children, are presented not just as statistics but as people with families, lives, and ambitions.

In Paris, Filipino artist and tattoo artist Agit and his brother Yeb help create a mural honoring Yolanda’s victims. Yeb, a former Philippine climate negotiator, travels from Rome to Paris in winter to draw attention to the disaster and call for justice. The film places their memorial work amid the shock and security fears following terrorist attacks in Paris, shortly before the COP21 climate conference. Despite those concerns, the conference proceeds.

At COP21, the Philippines’ delegation emphasizes the disproportionate toll of climate impacts on vulnerable countries. A scientist from the Union of Concerned Scientists describes risks beyond stronger storms, including rising seas, coastal damage, and saltwater intrusion that can affect drinking water. The film also points to extreme heat and drought in parts of the Philippines. It contrasts the effects of climate change in wealthier countries with the threats faced by poorer communities, including hunger, flooding, and loss of life.

Back in Tacloban, the documentary revisits residents who have returned to coastal areas designated as no-build zones. Some stay because their livelihoods depend on the sea, despite the danger of future storm surges. Residents describe conditions as hotter than before, while survivors recount the terrifying floodwaters and the loss of family members during Yolanda.

The film also highlights accountability and energy choices. Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement have petitioned the Philippine Commission on Human Rights to investigate 50 multinational fossil-fuel companies with operations in the country. The Commission says it will conduct a public inquiry. Meanwhile, the Paris agreement sets a shared goal to limit warming, but countries implement their commitments individually, and the agreement has no penalties for non-compliance.

As an alternative to coal, the documentary visits the Leyte geothermal field, presenting renewable energy as a cleaner option. It criticizes the contradiction between the Philippines’ emissions-reduction pledge and the government’s approval of more coal plants, while noting that coal is favored because it is cheap and the country needs more electricity. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore argues that greater government support for renewables could meet the country’s energy needs.

The closing message is that climate justice requires putting a human face to the crisis, holding major polluters accountable, and changing energy systems. The film presents the memory of Yolanda’s victims—and Agit’s memorial—as a source of inspiration for a long, ongoing global struggle.

Presenters and contributors

• Howie Severino — presenter and documentary reporter
• Yeb — Filipino climate advocate and former climate negotiator; the subtitles give only his first name
• Agit — Filipino artist and tattoo artist
• Peter Frumhoff — Union of Concerned Scientists
• Benigno Aquino III — then President of the Philippines, heard in a speech
• Al Gore — former U.S. Vice President

The documentary also includes unnamed Yolanda survivors, Tacloban residents, artists, and climate activists.