Makati mayor appointed to global mayors' covenant on climate

MANILA – Makati City Mayor Abby Binay has been appointed to the Board of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), the world's biggest alliance for city climate leadership with more than 10,500 member cities and local governments.

"It is a great honor to be selected as one of the board members of GCoM. I look forward to being a champion for mayors in Southeast Asia and around the world as we work together to implement actionable solutions for a more resilient and sustainable future," she said in a statement.

Binay will join more than 80 other leaders in the GCoM Mayoral Board, which is co-chaired by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Bloomberg is also a United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and European Commission executive vice president for the European Green Deal.

"We're glad to welcome Mayor Binay to the board of the Global Covenant of Mayors. Cities play a central role in confronting climate change, and Mayor Abby will provide an important perspective, especially as Southeast Asia faces severe risks. Together, we will help lead the charge on city climate action," Bloomberg said in another statement.

Binay vowed to serve as a "critical voice toward meeting the goals" of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Race to Resilience campaign, which aims to help communities build resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change like extreme heat, drought, flooding, and sea-level rise.

Binay will launch the "Cities' Race to Resilience" campaign at the Asia Pacific Climate Week on July 8, encouraging cities to join the global movement and commit to undertaking risk and vulnerability assessments.

The GCoM is a coalition that represents around 900 million people in 142 countries, accumulating to 10 percent of the global population.

The coalition shares a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change.

It also mobilizes cities and local governments' ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities. (PNA)