Abby Binay declares climate emergency in Makati

Makati Mayor Abby Binay declared a state of climate emergency in the city and vowed to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the country's financial center.

"As temperatures and sea levels continue to rise, low-lying coastal areas in cities like Makati have become more vulnerable to strong typhoons that bring floods and landslides,” Binay said in a webinar on Friday.

“This will result not only in the disruption of public services but also the displacement of families and even entire communities," the mayor said during the "Cafe Talk for Resilient Makati."

The city government will procure an entire fleet of electric vehicles and use solar panels in public schools and government offices to minimize energy consumption and ensure continuity of services during calamities, according to the mayor.

Binay said she wanted to see the active participation of the business sector, communities, and other stakeholders.

"We call upon everyone to come together and act now. We must ensure aggressive application of the whole-of-society approach in combating climate change. Now is a crucial time to act, and we need to act fast. We need thinkers, doers, and movers," she said.

Binay also urged localities to educate residents and businesses about the impacts of climate change and involve them in creating plans to make communities more climate resilient.

"We must promote sustainability and climate consciousness in all our actions. We must be the change we want to see in our city and the world," she said.

Weather bureau PAGASA said mean temperatures in all areas of the country are expected to rise between 1.8 and 2.2 degrees Celsius in 2050 because of climate change.

The Philippines is a party to the historic agreement reached in Paris in December 2015 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep the rise in global temperatures below two degrees Celsius.—VBL, GMA News