The Makati City local government announced that it has been named one of the three cities in the country to earn the spot as a national finalist in the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) prestigious One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) 2023-2024 which recognizes the efforts and initiatives of local government units (LGUs) around the world against climate change.
Joining Makati City as finalists are Baguio City and Tagum City.
"This distinction not only celebrates Makati's environmental achievements but also sets us as a leader in ecological responsibility among over 350 cities from 50 countries," the city said.
According to WWF, nearly 900 cities participated in the OPCC in just over 10 years, with more joining the cause.
"This friendly biennial global competition aims to help cities deliver the commitments in the Paris Agreement to limit the rise in global temperature to below 1.5°C. It also commends cities that are actively advancing their efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts, maintaining a well-rounded approach aligned with their objectives," the WWF said.
"As cities contribute over 70 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and consume more than 75 percent of their natural resources, their efforts in planning, implementing, and monitoring climate action are crucial for transitioning to a low-carbon and sustainable future," it added.
One Planet Cities Project Manager for WWF-Philippines Imee Bellen expressed hope that more cities will rise to the challenge of addressing the climate crisis while emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement.
"We applaud the commitment of these Philippine cities that participated in this latest run of the OPCC. It is also important to highlight that the collective climate action of cities and their citizens plays a significant role in both mitigating and adapting to climate change," Bellen said.
The organization explained that all OPCC participating cities received a “Strategic Feedback Report” based on the climate data reported by them which contained an assessment of their climate journey highlighting both the city's successes in the climate arena and other areas where improvement is needed.
It also offers a list of recommended effective mitigation and adaptation actions to help the city better address the impacts of global warming.
"The three Philippine finalists, along with those finalists from other countries, are also qualified to participate in the OPCC’s related activity called We Love Cities (WLC). This public engagement campaign aims to bridge and foster better communication between city officials and the citizens so that they can work together on climate and sustainability issues," WWF said.
"All OPCC finalists will be evaluated by an international jury composed of leading experts within the field of urban sustainability from around the globe. National and global winners will be announced publicly by September-October 2024," it added.
As a climate change champion, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay spearheaded numerous proactive programs and initiatives aimed at mitigating the city's carbon emissions and adapt to the latest technology in its climate change efforts.
These include the deployment of smart and sustainable mass transportation, the use of government electric vehicles, installation of solar panels in all government buildings and schools, and other systems detecting the adverse effects of climate change in Makati.