MANILA, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Greenpeace activists staged a street protest before the seat of Philippine energy authority on Tuesday, calling for a haul of the country's coal plant expansion and speedy passing of a legislation that encourages renewable energy usage.

    Environmentalists painted the words "Quit Coal" on the driveway of the Department of Energy and unfurled a banner that describes Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes as a "coal lover and climate killer."

    Greenpeace said under Reyes' term, the Philippines is expected to expand its coal-fired capacity to over 2,000 MW, while new renewable energy projects are projected at less than 100 MW.

    The burning of coal has been identified by scientists as the main source for climate change.

    "To lead the Philippines toward a future of reliance on dangerous coal-fired power plants is unacceptable," said Greenpeace Southeast Asia Climate and Energy campaigner Jasper Inventor.

    Greenpeace said meanwhile, the country's Renewable Energy Bill has been "languishing" in Congress for more than a decade, even though Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo named it as an urgent bill to pass in 2007.

    Since Congress reconvened in April, the bill has yet to be raised in both Houses of Congress.

    "As chair of the Task Force on Climate Change, Sec Reyes should end his love affair with coal. He should show clear leadership in stopping climate change, first by canceling all coal-fired power plants currently in the pipeline, and second by putting together a program that would enable the country to move away from fossil fuel dependence towards clean, renewable sources of energy," Inventor said.

    Also on Tuesday, 500 energy experts, policy makers financiers, and project developers from across Asia-Pacific gathered in Manila for a three-day Asia Clean Energy Forum organized by Asian Development Bank (ADB) to scale up investments in clean energy solutions that enhance energy security and address global warming.