Baguio, Makati, and Tagum City have been chosen as the Philippines’ national finalists for WWF’s One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) 2023-2024 cycle, which locally involves a total of 15 cities, and globally has 350 city entrants from 50 countries.
Their selection was based on the climate data they reported in the CDP-ICLEI Track as evaluated and scored using the 2023 OPCC Assessment Framework.
CDP-ICLEI Track is an online and free-of-charge reporting platform for cities globally. It provides comprehensive guidance on data points to be reported by cities in a simplified questionnaire form. CDP and ICLEI teams also offer direct assistance to cities throughout their reporting journey.
Each city participating in the OPCC received a “Strategic Feedback Report” analyzing their reported climate data. This comprehensive report evaluates the city’s progress in addressing climate challenges, pinpointing successes, and areas for enhancement. It also provides recommended actions for effective mitigation and adaptation efforts, further empowering the cities in contributing their share in the fight against the climate emergency.
The three finalists from the Philippines, along with finalists from other nations, are eligible to join WWF’s We Love Cities (WLC) campaign. WLC focuses on public engagement, aiming to enhance relationships between local governments and their citizens to collaboratively address climate and sustainability concerns.
Probolinggo City, Indonesia emerged as the Southeast Asian regional and overall global winner during the last WLC run.
Since 2011, close to 900 cities all over the world have participated in the OPCC. This biennial friendly competition seeks to assist cities in fulfilling the commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement, especially curbing the global temperature rise to below 1.5°C. Moreover, it recognizes cities that are actively enhancing their mitigation and adaption efforts.
Makati and Baguio are both ICLEI Member cities. Makati’s Mayor, Hon. Abigail Binay, currently serves as a member of the ICLEI Southeast Asia Regional Executive Committee and as the ICLEI Global Executive Committee Innovative Finance Portfolio Holder. Meanwhile, Baguio is currently a programme city of the Safe and Sound Cities (S2Cities) programme which advocates for the improvement of young people’s safety and well-being in urban environments.
