July, 06 2026

“We have been running the OPCC in the Philippines for 10 years and this recognition marks a major milestone. It’s a first time for a Philippine city to be a global front-runner and the first city in Southeast Asia to be named as one of the global winners” Imee Bellen, OPCC Project Manager, said. 

“Our decade of work towards improving urban solutions in the Philippines has finally resulted in Makati City being recognized on the international stage. This proves that Philippine cities can become models of sustainability and local climate leadership,” Bellen said. 

The OPCC cycle runs every 2 years, and the 2025-2026 cycle saw Baguio City, Makati City, and Tagum City emerge as the national finalists for the Philippines. Over 380 cities from 51 countries have joined the latest OPCC cycle. Makati City has been a participant in almost every cycle for the past 10 years; skipping the 2019-2020 cycle. 

Makati City was officially announced as the global winner for the developing countries category at the OPCC award ceremony at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference on the 30th of June. Paris was recognized as the top city for the developed countries category. 

Winning cities are judged on information the cities report using a platform for transparent environmental disclosure, the CDP-ICLEI track. Cities were assessed on both their vision and their impact, looking at how ambitiously they're planning and how credible their action plans are using science-based targets.  

According to the Science-Based OPCC 1.5°C Alignment Method, Makati City showcases strong commitment to the 1.5°C Pathway. The city implements impressive climate strategies focusing on energy transition, green building initiatives, and stakeholder engagement. Advancing their journey to achieving the target of 39% reduction in its GHG emissions by 2030, Makati City is moving toward becoming carbon neutral by 2050. 

“Our work with local governments in the Philippines goes back to before the OPCC. Urban environments experience many negative effects of climate change like the urban heat island effect and flash floods from thunderstorms and typhoons,” said Angela Ibay, WWF-Philippines' Climate and Energy Program Head. 

“The recognition of Makati City on the world stage shows that our work to collaborate and partner with local governments has made a difference. It also reflects how local climate action can translate into tangible benefits for communities by helping cities become more resilient to climate risks and improving the quality of life of its residents. This pushes us to do more and to strive for greater impact for the environment,” Ibay added. 

Cities are both major drivers of climate change and hotspots for solutions. Urban areas account for over 70% of global CO₂ emissions, and the IPCC identifies cities as critical enablers of climate mitigation, highlighting urban planning, clean energy and nature-based solutions as key levers for limiting warming to 1.5°C. With more than half the world's population living in cities, local climate leadership has never been more essential.  

Cities were assessed on both their vision and their impact, looking at how ambitious their targets are, benchmarked against ambitious targets; how credible their action plans are; and whether these are being implemented with people and nature in mind.  

Past global winners of the One Planet City Challenge have included Istanbul, Mexico City, Paris, Seoul and Cape Town. In the Philippines, cities like Santa Rosa, Batangas, Dipolog, and Pasig have been named as national winners in the past cycles.  

All cities also went through a qualitative assessment. Together, this provides a balanced picture of a city’s ambition and real-world results in driving climate action.  

WWF Global Climate and Energy Lead, and former Minister of Environment for Peru, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, said: “In a time when too many national governments are slowing down, cities are stepping up. Local leaders are showing that climate action is not only possible but already happening where people live and work. The One Planet City Challenge recognises that leadership – cities that are turning climate ambition into real action on the ground. Their example proves that when cities lead, progress follows and hope grows.  

“By celebrating their progress and connecting them through the OPCC network, we are helping to build a growing community of cities learning from each other and moving faster together. This collective effort is essential to meeting the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, and it shows that solutions are within reach when cities act.”