Makati City Mayor Abby Binay presented her government’s climate change initiatives as a speaker for Daring Cities 2022 held in Bonn, Germany the other day.
Daring Cities 2022 is a global virtual forum participated in by urban leaders focusing on climate emergency finance challenges facing local governments.
Binay said they have made climate change mitigation and adaptation a priority as she identified key short and long term action areas utilizing an approach that engages citizens, businesses and other stakeholders.
By sharing the best practices being utilized by the city government of Makati, Binay expressed the belief that more cities can make themselves more resilient against the impacts of climate change.
In a Youtube video, Binay said financing local governments across the globe to improve their climate change response initiatives is very important. She added the endeavor must be via public-private partnerships.
Alarm sounded
The forum was organized by the ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, where the mayor is a member of its Global Executive Committee.
Even before the forum, Binay has been sounding the alarm on worsening calamities.
“As temperatures and sea levels continue to rise, low-lying coastal areas in cities like Makati have become more vulnerable to strong typhoons that bring floods and landslides,” Binay said in a webinar organized by the Makati Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
“This will result not only in the disruption of public services but also the displacement of families and even entire communities,” she added.
1.8 degrees
Data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration have shown a 0.75 degrees Celsius increase in the country’s annual temperature over the past 70 years.
By 2050, the temperature increase is expected to reach as high as 1.8 degrees Celsius.
The mayor laid out during the forum her administration’s programs and initiatives intended to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the city.
Among the initiatives are the procurement of electric vehicles (e-vehicles) to be used by the city government, the installation of solar panels in public schools and government offices to minimize energy consumption, and ensuring the continuity of services during calamities.