Makati City has become the first city in the Philippines and Southeast Asia to be named a global winner in the developing countries category of the 2026 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC).

Mayor Nancy Binay announced the recognition on Thursday, describing it as a milestone for the city and its residents.

"To be named a Global Winner is an honor we accept on behalf of every Makati resident who has supported our climate programs, from our barangays to our business community. This recognition affirms that Makati's approach to climate action, grounded in data, policy, and genuine partnership with our residents, is working," Binay said.

Makati received the award during the OPCC global ceremony held on 30 June at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in Germany.

The city was recognized alongside Paris, which was named the global co-winner for the 2025-2026 cycle.

According to the city government, more than 380 cities from 51 countries participated in this year's challenge.

Binay said the recognition serves as motivation to further strengthen Makati's climate programs.

"This award is not the finish line. It is a challenge to keep raising our standards, to keep listening to our communities, and to keep building a Makati that is resilient for generations to come," she said.

Makati previously won the Philippines' national title in the 2024 OPCC cycle and has since expanded its climate adaptation and mitigation initiatives, greenhouse gas reduction targets, and environmental reporting through the CDP-ICLEI Track platform.

The city has also received CDP A-List recognition for three consecutive years.

Among Makati's initiatives are investments in green infrastructure, incentives for open spaces under its zoning policies, sustainable transport systems, improved solid waste management, and disaster preparedness programs.

Under Binay's administration, Makati also became the first local government unit in the Philippines to power all of its public buildings using renewable energy.

Through a partnership with ACEN Corp., all 154 city government facilities are expected to run on solar, wind, and geothermal energy, preventing nearly 290,000 metric tons of carbon emissions over the duration of the agreement.

The One Planet City Challenge is WWF's global program recognizing cities demonstrating leadership in climate action and sustainable urban development.