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Makati's Binay joins board of EU-backed global climate change covenant of mayors representing Southeast Asia
Makati's Binay joins board of EU-backed global climate change covenant of mayors representing Southeast Asia
By Roy Mabasa
The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), the largest international alliance for city climate leadership, on Thursday announced the appointment of Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay to its Board of mayors and leaders to represent Southeast Asia on the GCoM Mayoral Board.
The GCoM counts among its members more than 10,500 cities and local governments from six continents, 142 countries and 900 million people committed to addressing the climate crisis.
The GCoM Board is co-chaired by Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP and the 108th Mayor of New York City, and Frans Timmermans, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.
As Board Member, Binay will help steward her region towards ambitious emissions reduction goals and serve as a critical voice towards meeting the goals of the UNFCCC Climate Champions’ Race to Resilience campaign.
Under Mayor Binay’s leadership, Makati has been globally recognized as one of the most innovative cities in the world. In the last five years, Mayor Binay has led and implemented disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development efforts in her city.
On July 8th 2021, Mayor Binay will be launching the Cities Race to Resilience campaign during a side event at Asia Pacific Climate Week, encouraging cities globally to join the campaign and commit to undertaking risk and vulnerability assessments and concrete resilience actions.
In accepting her new role on the international stage, Binay said: “It is a great honor to be selected to join the board of the Global Covenant of Mayors. I look forward to being a champion for mayors in Southeast Asia and around the world, as we work together to implement actionable solutions for a more resilient and sustainable future.”
Bloomberg welcomed Binay’s inclusion in the GCoM Board, highlighting the role of the cities in combatting climate change. "Cities play a central role in confronting climate change, and Mayor Binay will provide an important perspective, especially as Southeast Asia faces severe risks. Together, we will help lead the charge on city climate action.”
GCoM co-chair Timmerman, for his part, cited the Makati mayor’s strong advocacy for climate action in Southeast Asia.
“Cities are at the forefront of the fight against the climate crisis, and drive many of the changes we need to succeed in our green transition. I congratulate Mayor Binay on her appointment and look forward to working together,” Timmerman said.
GCoM serves cities and local governments by mobilizing and supporting ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities by working with city/regional networks, national governments, and other partners to achieve our vision.