Makati City has been named a global winner in the developing countries category of the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature’s One Planet City Challenge, becoming the first city in the Philippines and Southeast Asia to receive the distinction.

Mayor Nancy Binay announced the award following the global ceremony held last 30 June at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference in Germany.

Makati shared the global spotlight with Paris, which was named the co-winner for the 2025-2026 cycle. The competition evaluated more than 380 participant cities spanning 51 countries.

“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,” Binay said.

“This recognition affirms that Makati’s approach to climate action, grounded in data, policy, and genuine partnership with our residents, is working,” she added.

The city previously won the national title for the Philippines in 2024.

Officials credited the global win to Makati’s science-aligned greenhouse gas reduction targets and its consistent environmental data tracking via the CDP-ICLEI Track platform, which has earned the city a spot on the CDP “A-List” for three straight years.

Under Binay’s administration, Makati became the first local government unit in the Philippines to commit to powering all of its public buildings with renewable energy.

Through a partnership with ACEN Corp., 154 city government facilities are transitioning to solar, wind and geothermal power. The initiative is projected to prevent nearly 290,000 metric tons of carbon emissions over the course of the contract.

The city has also integrated green infrastructure incentives into its local zoning policies, expanded sustainable transport, and updated its disaster preparedness programs to mitigate climate-related hazards.