THE City of Davao is named one of the national finalists for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Nature’s One Planet City Challenge (OPCC).
Davao City, along with two other Philippine finalists, Dipolog City and Quezon City, was selected among 16 qualified cities nationwide.
The OPCC, initiated by WWF, aims to recognize cities for their climate action and efforts, whether it aligns with the goals set in the Paris Agreement in limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees celsius.
“It is the city's mitigation and adaptation programs toward climate change that have propelled us to represent our country in this friendly global competition,” the Davao City Planning and Development Office said in a statement on June 3.
At the same time, Davao City also qualified to participate in the We Love Cities campaign of OPCC, which aims to “bridge and foster better communication between city officials and the citizens they represent on climate and sustainability issues.”
According to WWF’s statement, the 2021-2022 OPCC has 280 cities participating from 50 different countries wherein the cities are challenged to present their best practices and sustainability plans to “reduce the effects of climate change and accelerate climate transformation.”
Imee Bellen, One Planet Cities Project manager for WWF-Philippines, hopes more cities will be able to participate in OPCC in the near future.
“We are always welcome to showcase inspiring transformative urban solutions to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change,” she said.
Davao City, along with all the OPCC finalists, will be evaluated by an international jury panel who are leading experts in urban sustainability.
Winners will be announced from May to June 2022.