True to its commitment of incorporating inclusivity at the heart of its climate policies, the Quezon City Government is set to highlight its inclusive climate action initiatives in the upcoming C40 Cities Southeast Asia Regional Academy, as part of the Climate Action Implementation (CAI) Programme, supported by the UK government’s Urban Climate Action Programme (UCAP).
The C40 CAI Southeast Asia Regional Academy, taking place on September 2 to 6, 2024, will gather leaders, policymakers, and delegates from Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America to discuss integrating Inclusive Climate Action (ICA) into city governance.
Among the city’s notable initiatives for mainstreaming ICA are the development of good, green jobs through an informal waste worker program, training on equity and inclusion across city departments to build competencies, the creation of a climate book for children, and employment of people with disabilities.
In 2022, Mayor Joy Belmonte joined global cities in calling for a common effort to create 50 million good, green jobs by the end of the decade during the C40 World Mayors Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“By creating employment, protecting residents’ health, and reducing emissions through sustainable food consumption, clean energy, ecological transport, and circular economy, among others, we showcase the powerful impact of climate action beyond traditional efforts,” Belmonte said.
To date, the city has already generated more than 25,000 jobs for residents who belong to the vulnerable sector, which address both the climate and inequality crises. These jobs are primarily in urban farming, waste management, and renewable energy sectors. C40 recently published a research with global analysis on the creation of good, green jobs, showcasing how local governments play a key role in supporting regulations, standards, and cooperation with industries to create them.
Quezon City’s transformative program, Joy of Urban Farming and Grow QC, has created jobs for thousands of residents and revolutionized the local food system. These urban farmers now harvest nutritious food from more than one thousand farms in Quezon City, thereby increasing the consumption of healthy, plant-based food while cutting emissions from inefficient supply chains.
Aside from urban farmers, Quezon City’s good, green jobs also include electric tricycle drivers, bike patrols, sanitation engineers, street sweepers, and waste collectors.
Through QC’s “Kasama ka sa Kyusi” program, the city employed around 300 people with disabilities to provide them with inclusive and equal opportunities.
The city is also currently developing interactive storybooks for young people and children with disabilities through the Inclusive Climate Action Cities Fund (ICA Fund), administered by C40 Cities. These will be child-friendly versions of the City’s Enhanced Local Climate Change Action Plan for 2021 to 2050, allowing all segments of society to understand and participate in QC’s climate actions.
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