By DIANN IVY CALUCIN
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte appealed to international institutions of climate financing to support the climate action plans of cities around the globe to achieve their mitigation and adaptation solutions.
The Quezon City government said on Saturday, Oct 29, that Belmonte and Mayor Barthélémy Toye Dias of Dakar, Senegal raised the appeal during the the C40 World Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina last Oct. 19 to 21.
"Please help the cities that have plans, that are prepared, that have the expertise to be able to execute and implement a plan towards fruition," Belmonte said.
The city government said it had already completed the QC's Enhanced Local Climate Change Action Plan (Enhanced LCCAP) for 2021 to 2050 through the assistance from the C40 Cities, the UK (United Kingdom) government, and other non-government organizations.
Enhanced LCCAP is a city's strategic plan to build a climate-resilient and carbon-neutral city by 2050.
In line with this, the city government said it needs to allocate funds locally and from external partners to accelerate the implementation, effectively adapt to climate change's impacts, and meet the interim target of reducing carbon emissions by 30 percent in 2030.
"We have a plan with objectives, goals, and targets. In the global south, we have the political will, commitment, and conviction, and we know how urgent the problem is but we do not have the financial resources that we need to carry out this plan that you generously helped us create. I believe that you have a moral obligation to help the global south to see this plan to fruition otherwise they are just pieces of paper," Belmonte said.
Meanwhile, the local government unit also said it started initiating local actions to mobilize resources for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
At least 13 percent of the city's budget was dedicated to climate action, enabling them to build 93 kilometers of bike lanes that will be expanded to 350 kilometers by 2025, and establish 675 community farms that provide livelihood opportunities for around 16,000 residents, it noted.
The city government also declared a climate emergency in the city in 2019, prompting city ordinances to enact clean, sustainable, and environment-friendly programs, including Ordinance Nos. SP-2868, S-2019, or the total ban on the distribution of plastic bags, SP-2876, S-2019 or prohibition of single-use plastics/disposable materials, SP-3107, S-2021 or the QC Green Public Procurement Ordinance and SP-3009, S-2020, or the establishment of the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department (CCESD).
"With climate financing, if we are able to put solar panels in all of our government buildings, we would already be reducing 12 percent of our carbon emissions. These little wins will go a long way in a global south city like Quezon City," Belmonte said.