Senator Loren Legarda called for an urgent action for climate-resilient urban development during her keynote address at the Trans-Pacific Sustainability Dialogue (TPSD) 2025 luncheon on Monday, 10 November in Manila. 

The forum, themed Sustainable Cities and Communities, brought together policymakers, scholars, and international institutions to discuss strategies for sustainable urban growth.

Addressing delegates from the Ban Ki-moon Foundation, Stanford University’s Asia-Pacific Research Center, the University of the Philippines Asian Center, and other organizations, Legarda highlighted the country’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and the widening gap between urban expansion and livability.

“It is like nature is speaking to us, telling us that our urban growth has outpaced our safeguards,” Legarda said, referencing the recent devastation caused by Typhoons Tino and Uwan.

Legarda, a long-time advocate of environmental protection and climate action, emphasized the importance of aligning legislation with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. She cited key measures including the Sustainable Cities and Communities Act, the Clean Gateway Cities Act, the Urban Walkability and Safe Pathways Standards Act, the Government Sustainable Hybrid and Electric Fleet Transition (SHIFT) Act, and the Noise Pollution Control and Abatement Act.

“These measures are important,” Legarda noted, “but what matters is the spirit with which they are implemented, the spirit of long-term vision and care for both people and planet.”

Paying tribute to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Legarda acknowledged his leadership in championing the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the Philippines Senate Resolution No. 929, which she sponsored as a tribute to his global efforts.

She closed her address with a call for strengthened cooperation across sectors and generations, describing the Dialogue as “a bridge, linking research and policy, past and future.”

The Trans-Pacific Sustainability Dialogue 2025 continues until 11 November, focusing on accelerating progress on SDG 11 across the Asia-Pacific region.