Makati City has secured international acclaim after being named a Global Winner in the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC). Marking a historic achievement as the first city in both the Philippines and Southeast Asia to earn the global title in the developing countries category, Makati shared the global spotlight with Paris, the top winner for developed nations. The prestigious distinction was formally announced at the OPCC ceremony held during the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in Germany, cementing the city’s position as a international benchmark for urban sustainability and climate resilience.
The selection process evaluated over 380 cities across 51 countries, assessing each candidate’s climate vision, science-based reduction targets, and tangible real-world implementation. Evaluators highlighted Makati’s ambitious alignment with the 1.5°C global climate pathway, which includes concrete commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 39 percent by 2030 and achieve full carbon neutrality by 2050. The city’s rigorous tracking and transparent environmental reporting through the CDP-ICLEI platform played a key role in validating its long-term climate governance.
At the center of Makati’s global recognition is a series of pioneering urban initiatives that merge environmental protection with community resilience. Makati became the first local government unit in the country to power all 154 of its public municipal facilities using 100 percent renewable energy through a strategic partnership with ACEN Corp., a milestone projected to prevent nearly 290,000 metric tons of carbon emissions. Beyond renewable energy adoption, the city has aggressively integrated green building incentives into local zoning policies, expanded sustainable public transport, strengthened disaster risk reduction protocols, and enhanced urban open spaces to combat localized heat island effects.
Local government leaders and environmental advocates emphasized that the award validates a decade of steady, data-driven climate action built on active cooperation between the public sector, the business community, and local barangays. Representatives from WWF and ICLEI noted that Makati’s success demonstrates how local governments in developing regions can lead the charge in converting high-level environmental pledges into meaningful, everyday benefits for urban residents. Rather than treating the global award as a final milestone, city officials reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining high environmental standards, leveraging the momentum to accelerate sustainability initiatives and build a climate-resilient urban center for future generations.
with additional report: https://businessmirror.com.ph/
