MANILA, Philippines — For her environment programs, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has been named by Forbes as one of its inaugural 50 Sustainability Leaders.
The other mayors in the list are Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Anne Hidalgo of Paris, France and Michelle Wu of Boston.
Various entrepreneurs, scientists, philanthropists, investors, politicians and activists also made it to the Forbes list for their efforts in combating the climate crisis.
“The 50 honorees recognized as Forbes inaugural Sustainability Leaders span industries and disciplines while all demonstrating exceptional ambition, innovation, and recent, tangible impact that is both scalable and sustainable,” Forbes said.
“This first class of Sustainability Leaders highlights individuals driving real and lasting impact. We honor them for their vision and stewardship of our planet and to showcase the creative, inspiring solutions they are leading from the lab to the boardroom,” it added.
Belmonte said that the recognition underscored the city’s efforts in combatting climate change.
“We are extremely honored to be part of this inaugural list. This further solidifies our commitment to combating climate change and its negative impact on the environment and our QCitizens,” Belmonte said.
Forbes hailed Belmonte’s decision to place Quezon City, the most populous city in the country, under climate emergency.
“That move allowed Belmonte to allocate 13 percent of the city’s budget (which has since increased) to climate initiatives to reach its stated goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050,” it said.
Forbes also lauded the mayor for her other environmental initiatives, including doubling the city’s bike path network to 217 kilometers, electrifying its free bus service, and adding solar panels to public buildings.
In 2023, the United Nations Environment Program named Belmonte champion of the Earth for Policy Leadership for her strong advocacy and campaign against the use of plastic.
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