Since 2021, Mayor Mar-len Abigail “Abby” Sombillo Binay-Campos has represented Southeast Asia as a GCoM Board member, where she has played a significant role. Throughout 2023, Mayor Binay demonstrated her commitment and leadership in advocating for the role of local governments in climate actions on both regional and international platforms. Let’s explore the noteworthy and impactful highlights of her GCoM engagements in 2023!

GCoM SEA Regional Workshop

Bangkok, 30-31 March 2023 | At the GCoM Southeast Regional Workshop, Mayor Binay underpinned the important work that GCoM has accomplished in Southeast Asia. She expressed her gratitude to technical partners for their support to signatories in the region and congratulated pilot cities for their completion of Climate Action Plans (CAPs). “This workshop will hopefully become a beacon for cities and stakeholders to re-kindle their climate efforts,” said Mayor Binay as she ended her video message.

GCoM Board Meeting

Virtual, 18 April 2023 | GCoM Board members meet periodically to share best practices, identify common challenges, and develop joint initiatives that leverage the strengths and resources of partner organisations. During the virtual meeting, Mayor Binay, highlighting successes such as the completion of 8 CAPs in Indonesia and Malaysia, also addressed obstacles like limited access to baseline data and climate financing. Mayor Binay advocated for personalised capacity-building solutions and concluded her intervention by saying, “As mayors, we have the power to influence and drive change within our cities. Let us commit ourselves to concrete actions toward a more sustainable future.”

City Climate Finance Roundtable

Paris, 22 June 2023 | The City Climate Finance Roundtable was organised as part of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. Co-hosted by COP28 Presidency & Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with C40 Cities, GCoM, and CCFLA, the roundtable facilitated dialogue among city and international financial institution leaders to connect cities with finance. On this precious occasion, Mayor Binay addressed the challenges encountered by cities in transitioning to a low-carbon economy and emphasised the need for multilateral development banks (MDBs) to adapt their approaches to better support local and national governments in climate action investments aligned with the Paris Agreement objectives.

GCoM Vietnam Workshop

Nha Trang, 7 July 2023 | GCoM Vietnam Workshop was part of the series of GCoM National Workshops in Southeast Asia. At the session on Successful Case Studies of Climate Finance, Mayor Binay and 3 other cities from Vietnam and Indonesia delivered their speeches. During Mayor Binay shared insights alongside representatives from three other cities in Vietnam and Indonesia. She highlighted Makati’s innovative use of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism to seize mutually beneficial opportunities in combatting climate change. Mayor Binay showcased the Makatizen Card and the Makati Subway System as exemplary initiatives to inspire other cities.

Climate Summit for Local Government

Melbourne, 8 September 2023 | Mayor Binay delivered a keynote speech at the Climate Summit for Local Governments organised by Cities Power Partnerships (CPP). She highlighted COP28 and its significance in the climate dialogue. Having accepted the invitation to join the Advisory Committee for COP28, Mayor Binay shared that she is honoured to represent not only the Philippines and Southeast Asia and local government leaders in advocating practical or workable solutions in addressing climate challenges.

“At COP28, I will be reiterating the importance of global collaboration and urging other cities to take an active role in addressing the climate crisis. I will push for the empowerment of cities as key climate actors through greater accessibility of green financing and resources needed to undertake high-impact and sustainable climate initiatives at the local level.”

New York Climate Week & GCoM Board Meeting

New York, 19-21 September 2023 | At the sideline of New York Climate Week, the GCoM Board members, comprised of mayors representing different regions, gathered in New York for the first in-person GCoM Board meeting. Mayor Binay provided updates on climate-related initiatives in Southeast Asia and shared her expectations from the Global Stocktake and her views on how to better reflect local action in NDCs.

During New York Climate Week, Mayor Binay also participated in the Townhall Meeting with the Filipino Community and The Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit.

Innovate4Cities Global Marketplace

Virtual, 10-12 October 2023 | A plenary session titled “City Leaders Perspective” was held as part of the Innovate4Cities Global Marketplace in order to bring insights from city leaders. In her message, Mayor Binay said, “Local governments worldwide to take a proactive stance in seeking opportunities to establish partnerships with the private sector and access financial and technical assistance from international sources.” She also emphasised the significance of social inclusivity and multistakeholder engagement to ensure no one is left behind.

Joint Press Release Prior to COP28

CCFLA, C40 and GCoM joint press release on multilateral development banks (MDBs) prior to COP 28.

“The path to achieving net zero extends through the world’s urban centres, where the critical climate battle is expected to unfold predominantly. Thus, the empowerment of local communities and the assurance of their commitment, particularly among vulnerable sectors, will play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable urbanization. Many local governments have crafted ambitious climate action plans and set targets for reducing emissions, underscoring their dedication to both mitigation and adaptation initiatives. Nevertheless, a significant challenge persists, particularly in the global south, as many lack the essential funding for the effective implementation of these plans. Given that the needs of cities often take a backseat to competing global MDB agenda priorities, this report aims to highlight the crucial requirement for urban finance to address the climate crisis at the subnational level. MDBs should seize the opportunity to transform into “Banks for Cities” and expedite progress toward the objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement.”

COP28

Dubai, 30 November – 9 December 2023 | Several significant takeaways emerged from COP28, including Global Stocktake, the operationalisation of Loss and Damage, and the launch of the Local Action Summit. There was an emphasis on ‘multilevel’ actions and a growing understanding of cities as crucial battlegrounds and partners in the fight against climate change. This recognition gained momentum with the introduction of the Local Climate Action Summit, signalling the inclusion of subnational leaders in global climate initiatives.

30 November | Opening of the Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum High-level reception in the presence of His Majesty Kings Charles II and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
1 December | Part of the Delegation of 12 Mayors and Governors invited to attend the World Climate Action Summit at COP28 Opening and Launch
1 December | Speaker at the session entitled The Missing Link: Decarbonising Our Planet, Improving Lives through Local Action. Mayor Binay got a standing ovation during this session on her observation and opinion on having an all-female panel as the opening of the COP 28 Summit
2 December | High-level event on NDC and NAP at the Philippine Pavilion
Plenary Session on Working on the need and opportunity to reform MDB’s mandates and operating models
2 December | Speaker at the session entitled Dollars and Sense: How MDBs can scale the green transition
3 December | Finance Ambition Loop Dialogue with UNFCCC Executives
3 December | GCoM Board Gathering
GCoM Global hosted an informal gathering of GCoM Board members to further provide the Board with the opportunity to further exchange regional updates/structures and to discuss some joint activities going forward. As for the emerging priorities for 2024, Mayor Binay suggested that “our main focus should be on exploring innovative financing methods like blended financing and carbon credit schemes. We should also aim to enhance the role of cities in climate action by supporting global initiatives like the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), and the Race to Resilience and Race to Zero campaigns.”
6 December | Ministerial Meeting on Urbanisation and Climate Change
6 December | Interview with Channel News Asia on LGs experience in COP28
6 December | Provided the voice of local leaders and as a Resilient Hub entitled Disaster Preparedness and Response: Key Pillars of Strengthened Urban Climate Resilience
6 December | iLab FMDV: Seizing & Catalyzing the Urban Financing Opportunity To Accelerate Multilevel Action for Just Transition & Resilience
9 December | Provided video message to the session of Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) Climate Urban Displacement