Quezon City, Makati hailed for climate initiatives

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City and Makati have been recognized as among the “global leaders in environmental action, ambition and transparency” for implementing effective measures to address the climate crisis.

The two cities were the only Philippine cities that made it to the Cities A List 2023 of global non-profit organization CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project).

There were 119 cities in this year’s list, which recognizes “global leaders in environmental action, ambition and transparency.” Only five were from Southeast Asia, which also included Can Tho in Vietnam, Jakarta in Indonesia and Iskandar in Malaysia.

“The A List, which was started by CDP in 2018, recognizes cities that have received the highest score for their transparency and bold climate action, and celebrates their achievements, vision and commitment in the fight against climate change,” the organization said.

“Many cities are building on the momentum in their environmental action, making it mainstream to their operations. This is reflected in the growing number of cities that are consistently receiving an ‘A’, despite the tightening criteria to achieve this,” it added.

More than 900 cities have been assessed by the CDP, which looked into public disclosures on climate action programs, city-wide emissions inventory and climate action plan.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who was recently hailed a United Nations Champion of the Earth for Policy Leadership, stressed the importance of political commitment and leadership in achieving the recognition.

“We are truly honored to be part of the A-List cities of CDP. The city’s climate initiatives are all anchored on our Enhanced Local Climate Change Action Plan that is made possible with the help of C40 Cities and other stakeholders to ensure that it is inclusive and responsive to the needs of our citizens,” Belmonte said in a statement.

“There are many vulnerable people in our city and it is imperative that we bring the people with us as we gear towards a livable, green, sustainable and climate-resilient future,” she added.

Some of the climate action initiatives implemented by the local government included a city-wide greenhouse gas inventory and the establishment of the baseline for the city’s emission reduction goals and initiatives.

It also passed several resolutions to address the climate crisis, including a resolution declaring a climate emergency in 2019.

Many of its landmark programs focus on waste and plastic generation, food surplus recovery, food security, reduction of emissions and creation of green jobs.

“We recognize how every sector of our city plays a huge role in confronting the climate crisis, from our residents up to the private entities. The city cannot attain this accolade without their utmost help and support to our initiatives,” said Belmonte.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay, in an earlier column in Pilipino Star Ngayon, also welcomed the city’s inclusion in the list.

“Makati and the 118 other A-List cities will serve as a guide and give inspiration to other global cities to act on climate change,” she wrote in Filipino.