Indonesia Best Practices

Fast Facts

• Mayor: Mar-Len Abigail S. Binay
• Population: 624,032
• Area: 27.35 Km
• GCoM Signatory since 2015
• Makati City has its root in the pre-Hispanic settlement where two of the oldest Catholic Churches were: Nuestra Señora de Gracia and Saints Peter and Paul,
• Makati is the heart of the business district where it serves as a centre for entrepreneurs, corporations, and financial institutions that are crucial for the nation’s economy,

Background

Makati declared a climate emergency on 5 August 2022 due to the worsening impact of climate change.^[1] Global Climate Risk Index 2021 supported the statement that the Philippines is amongst countries that are prone to climate-induced risk, such as extreme weather. This declaration remarks as a call for people to be aware and take immediate actions to safeguard the environment and decrease the impacts of climate change. Makati known as the Philippines business centre has a booming population where in a day, a rapid influx of 5 million people could reside in Makati from the original 600,000 official residents of the city.^[2] This fact results in the emission where Makati produced 1,648,076 tons of carbon dioxide from waste, transportation, and energy.^[3]

The Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Service stated that the country’s annual temperature has increased by 0.75 degree Celsius annually which is projected that in 2050, the temperature will reach 1.8 degrees Celsius.^[4] This number is a danger to Makati as a coastal city where it is prone to a typhoon that brings other disasters, such as flood and landslides. Climate change will increase the risk and further disrupt public activity and causing negative impacts where people are displaced and economic loss that hinder the growth of the area.

Solutions Implemented

The city decided to not remain silent on the current status quo reiterating the Mayor’s statement,

“We call upon everyone to come together and act now. We must ensure the aggressive application of the whole-of-society approach in combating climate change. We heard the data. We understood the science, and we are feeling its impact. Now is a crucial time to act, and we need to act fast. We need thinkers, doers, and movers.”

Climate action has become the city’s priority and contributions in following the policy to decrease GHG and accelerate the transition to a sustainable lifestyle are mandatory. Makati City realises various stakeholders shall be involved, where businesses shall invest in green infrastructure, educational institutions to educate and become changemakers, and policy-makers to create green policies that decrease greenhouse gas. One of the focuses of Makati City is ensuring energy efficiency as mobilisation and energy consumption happen every day, and with the number of residents, it becomes more urgent to ensure that the electricity is sourced from renewable resources and transportation to save more energy. Various initiatives include:

• Green building implementation where local government buildings and public schools have solar panels roofs to support energy consumption. This initiative was kickstarted in the Comembo Elementary School and fast forward 25 elementary schools, 10 junior high schools, and 8 senior high schools becoming green buildings.^[5]
• Low Carbon facility where an individual resident uses solar roofs to reduce utility costs on electricity in a residential apartment. This initiative also acts as an investment where administration expenses are also covered by the energy coming from the solar roof.^[6]
• Public transportation establishment where Makati Subway project become the biggest project of the city and marked as the first intercity mass transportation to reduce carbon emissions by increasing public transportation capacity to support people mobilisation. Makati City realises its position as a business centre and the development of the Makati Subway, will ease commuters to mobilise and decrease GHG.
• Public-Private Partnership as a source of funding for green infrastructure procurement, such as rejuvenation of sidewalks in Kalayaan, Metropolitan, South Avenues, and Nicanor Garcia St. These initiatives include facility procurement, such as elevated walkways, terracotta block, cobblestones sidewalks, and LED lamppost^[7] to make Makati as a truly walkable city.^[8]

Results and Solutions Learned

Makati becomes an accelerator of green transition in the Philippines where those initiatives mentioned are on track with the city’s goal to be climate-resilient by 2030. Makati understands the impact of climate change and creates actions that count sustainability into its urban planning to ensure the sustainability of both environment and the people. It is also important to involve everyone, including the private sector as Mayor Binay states that the private party is a partner for a greener and a world-class Makati where they contribute to infrastructure procurement to help Makati city in achieving its goals to become a green and climate-resilient city.

 

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^[1] Jimmyley Guzman, “Makati City declares ‘climate emergency,” Philippine Information Agency, August 11, 2022, https://pia.gov.ph/news/2022/08/11/makati-city-declares-climate-emergency
^[2] UNDRR, “Makati steps up on climate | Making Cities Resilient,” Making Cities Resilient 2030,  November 28, 2022, https://mcr2030.undrr.org/news/makati-steps-climate
^[3]  Makati City, “Speech of Mayor Abby Binay KASpaces PH Webinar Session 2 Reimagining Sustainable Transport Post-COVID-19,” Makati City, July 23, 2021, https://www.makati.gov.ph/content/mayors-corner/speeches/1147
^[4] Makati City, “Mayor Abby declares climate emergency in Makati; calls for whole-of-society approach to combat climate change,” August 6, 2022, https://www.makati.gov.ph/content/news/70085
^[5] UNDRR, “Makati steps up on climate | Making Cities Resilient”
^[6] Solaric, “Another Makati Building Goes Solar,” Solaric, n.d., https://solaric.com.ph/blog/makati-building-solar/
^[7] Manila Bulletin, “Makati City plans ‘green’ buildings” Eco-Business.com, January 12, 2012, from https://www.eco-business.com/news/makati-city-plans-green-buildings/
^[8] Makati City, “Speech of Mayor Abby Binay KASpaces…”