Makati City Mayor Abby Binay on Monday, Sept. 4, announced that she was named a member of the advisory committee of the prestigious COP28 or 2023 UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for her advocacy in promoting climate change awareness and sustainability amid the ongoing adverse effects of climate change.

"Ang makabuluhan at makasaysayang conference na ito ay gaganapin simula Nobyembre 30 at matatapos sa Disyembre 12, 2023. Ako po ang kaisa-isang mayor na magre-represent sa Pilipinas at Southeast Asia. Isang malaking karangalang maimbitahang sumali sa COP28 Advisory Committee. Layon kong palakasin ang boses ng mga lokal na komunidad at bigyang-diin ang kahalagahan ng mga siyudad sa climate action (This significant and historic conference will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, 2023 where I'm the only mayor who will represent the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It is such an honor to be invited to join the COP28 Advisory Committee. My goal is to strengthen the voices of local communities and stress the importance of cities in promoting climate action)," Binay said.

"Excited na akong makasama ang mahigit 30 leaders mula sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo at makapagbahagi ng mga insight at ideya kay Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, president-designate para sa COP28. Siya rin ang Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology at UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change. Kabilang sa mga tatalakayin namin ang climate adaptation, mitigation, finance, loss and damage, food and agriculture, at nature-based solutions (I am very excited to join over 30 leaders from other parts of the globe and share my insights and ideas with COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber. He is also the minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change. Some of the topics we will tackle include climate adaptation, mitigation, finance, loss and damage, food and agriculture, and nature-based solutions)," she added.

The mayor explained that one of the topics she wants to put focus on is “fast-tracking the energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030” to hasten the transition of Makati to sustainable and renewable energy sources.

"Marami pa tayong kailangang matutunan para tuluyang mapababa ang amount ng carbon dioxide o CO2 emissions mula sa energy consumption. Kailangan din nating isulong ang malinis, sustainable, at smart public transport systems sa ating lungsod. Noong 2022, umabot ng 146.5 million tons ang carbon dioxide emissions ng bansa. Mas mataas ito kumpara sa 135.8 million tons ng carbon dioxide noong 2021 (We still have a lot to learn to completely decrease the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 emissions from energy consumption. We also have to promote a clean, sustainable, and smart public systems in our city. In 2022, the country's CO2 emissions have reached 146.5 million tons, which is higher that the 135.8 million tons of CO2 in 2021)," she stressed.

Transportation

Aside from the ambitious Makati City Subway aimed at further streamlining the transport system of Makati which is also one of her administration's flagship programs, Binay announced that electric buses (E-buses) will soon be a part of the regular public transportation sector in the city following the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the city government and an international government organization on the establishment of a smart public transport system in the city on Aug. 3.

The city government partnered with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) established in 1991 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea as a governmental organization for Official Development Assistance (ODA) to enhance the effectiveness of South Korea's grant aid programs for developing countries by implementing the government's grant aid and technical cooperation programs.

“Apart from the Makati Subway, this new public transport system is in line with our efforts to transform Makati into a smart city. We need to upgrade our systems because smart transportation is more convenient, safe, and cost-effective for both the city and commuters than traditional frameworks,” Binay said.

She added that the smart public transport system will provide commuters with an affordable means of transportation, help mitigate the impacts of climate change, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions since the eco-friendly buses are powered by electricity.

The $13 million partnership includes the development of a public transportation master plan, establishment of a public transport information and communications technology (ICT) system, pilot operation of electric vehicle (EV) bus service, establishment of an EV bus depot, and capacity building of officials and personnel.

It also includes the design and construction of an EV bus depot, control tower, and EV buses; and management of the automatic fare collection system, fleet management system, and mobile passenger information system.

The mayor said that the construction of the EV bus depot, control center, ICT system, and other facilities started during the first quarter of 2023 and is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.

Resilience Hub

In 2022, the city has been proclaimed as the first-ever Resilience Hub in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia by the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

Binay said that with this proclamation, Makati City will lead in the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative.

MCR2030 aims to contribute directly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11) and other global frameworks by empowering cities to become inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by 2030.

The UNDRR defines resilience hubs as cities, municipalities, or local authorities that have political and technical commitment to take actions to address disaster and climate risks.

It said that in order to qualify as a resilience hub, a city must have reached a high level of resilience building commitments, showed sustained mechanism for DRR/resilience investments, and with an expertise and interest in disseminating best practices to other cities joining the MCR2030. The position is renewable every three years.

MCR2030 resilience hubs may also host international events related to the MCR2030; coordinate study tours to showcase practical examples and share experience; twin up with other cities to provide support in the expertise area; provide technical assistance and support training to enhance resilience awareness and in the development and implementation of the DRR/Resilience strategies; publish and disseminate knowledge products, lessons learned and good practices; provide access to partners who can support the journey of twinned cities along the Resilience Roadmap; inject seed financing; and provide assistance with credit ratings and development of municipal bond markets.

"Ngayong 2023, patuloy nating itataas ang bandera ng Makati at ng Pilipinas sa mga international conventions tungkol sa climate change. Patutunayan natin na kahit maliit ang Makati at hindi sing-yaman ng ibang first-world cities, kaya nating makipagsabayan pagdating sa training, planning, at pagpapatupad ng ating mga programa para sa kalikasan (This 2023, let's all continue to raise the flags of Makati and the Philippines in international conventions about climate change. We will prove that despite Makati's small size and being not as rich as other first-world cities, we can be at par with them in terms of training, planning, and implementation of programs for the environment)," Binay noted.