The cities of Davao, Dipolog, and Quezon pave the way towards a more eco-friendly Philippines after they have been chosen as finalists for World Wide Fund's 'One Planet City' challenge
Three areas in the Philippines have been included in the One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The cities of Davao, Dipolog, and Quezon were selected among 16 qualified districts that will compete this year.
OPCC is a friendly global competition initiated by WWF to recognise cities for their climate actions and ambitions and assess whether they align with the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement in limiting climate change to 1.5 °C. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, climate change directly impacts cities and urban life. Increasing global temperatures result in rising sea levels and more extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and storms, particularly affecting coastal communities. Further, increases in the spread of vector-borne and water-borne diseases and heat-related illnesses have affected urban populations as global temperatures increase.
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In the same report, the group said that cities are key contributors to climate change as urban activities are significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. "An estimated 75 per cent of global CO2 emissions are from cities, with transport and buildings being among the largest contributors," the group noted.
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