The Catholic Church’s social action arm in the Philippines warned Thursday that escalating violence in the Middle East exposes a deeper global vulnerability: the world’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Caritas Philippines said the crisis threatens not only to deepen humanitarian suffering but also to trigger economic shocks that could quickly ripple to countries far from the battlefield.
Its president Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos said the intensifying conflict risks plunging millions into instability while sending tremors through global energy markets.
“This crisis also reveals a deeper and often ignored reality: the fossil fuel economy continues to shape geopolitical conflict,” Alminaza said in a statement.
He added that for countries like the Philippines, the consequences are often first felt in global fuel markets.
“Each escalation in the region tends to push oil prices upward, affecting economies dependent on imported energy,” he said.
Alminaza said rising oil prices translate into immediate hardship for Filipino families. “The burden falls heaviest on workers, farmers, fisherfolk and the urban poor,” he said.
The Philippines imports most of the coal, oil and natural gas that power its economy, leaving the country vulnerable to supply disruptions and price volatility linked to geopolitical tensions.
The national Caritas said the crisis underscores the risks of an economic system heavily tied to fossil fuel extraction and global commodity markets.
“The fossil fuel system does not only warm the planet; it also fuels conflict, deepens economic vulnerability and perpetuates a model of development built on extraction, inequality and short-term gain,” Alminaza said.
The organization urged the government to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, citing solar, wind, geothermal and other local resources as ways to insulate the country from global price shocks.
“Renewable energy is a peace strategy, a justice strategy and a national survival strategy and not simply a solution to the climate crisis,” he said.
Alminaza also cautioned against relying on expanded oil and gas exploration as a long-term solution to energy insecurity.
The bishop cited analyses showing that new fossil fuel projects now take significantly longer to develop and may become financially risky as the world shifts toward cleaner energy.
He called on governments to pursue diplomatic solutions to conflicts while accelerating investments in renewable energy to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on volatile global fuel markets.
“Peace is built on justice,” Alminaza said. “And justice today demands an energy conversion.”
