QC mayor among Forbes sustainability leaders

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte was the lone Filipino included in the Forbes list of 50 people who are leading global efforts to combat the climate crisis.

- Janvic Mateo

The inaugural Forbes Sustainability Leaders recognizes "superstar entrepreneurs, scientists, funders, policymakers and activists who are leading the charge to combat the climate crisis with real, tangible impact." It included leaders coming from different industries and disciplines who demonstrate "exceptional ambition, innovation and recent, tangible impact that is both scalable and sustainable." In recognizing Belmonte, Forbes noted the different initiatives she pursued after taking office as Quezon City mayor in 2019.

Among them was the declaration of a climate emergency, the first in the Philippines.

"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," Forbes said.