QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – The Quezon City government will be allocating the Inclusive Climate Action Cities Fund (ICA Fund) that it received from C40 Cities to the production of interactive local climate action storybooks for the youth population and children with disabilities in the city.
The ICA Fund is the first-ever grant administered by the global network of world leaders at the forefront of fighting the ongoing climate crisis, C40 Cities, in support of the transition of local governments to green economy.
Last June 28, the city government was named among the recipients of the said grant alongside the cities of Bogotá (Colombia), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Los Angeles (USA), Vancouver (Canada), and Warsaw (Poland).
Through the ICA Fund, City Mayor Joy Belmonte is specifically aiming to develop a child-oriented version of the local government’s Enhanced Climate Change Action Plan for 2021 to 2050 in a bid to enhance the inclusivity and accessibility of the city's sustainability initiatives.
“I am proud to join other leading mayors in the world in advancing inclusive and equitable climate action with the support of C40’s new Inclusive Climate Action Fund. In Quezon City, we recognize the need for inclusive and accessible information dissemination that caters to all residents, of all backgrounds, educational attainment and age groups, to better engage them in our climate action initiatives,” said Mayor Joy Belmonte.
The said storybooks will be tailored to accommodate the learning needs of preschool to high school students ranging from 4 to 18 years of age. These will be made available in interactive pop-up book, braille, and audiobook formats to ensure that children of all sectors can benefit from this project including those with disabilities, members of informal settler families, and out-of-school youth.
“This shows our continuing commitment to inclusive climate action for all. This project will help address this priority, putting the needs of the youth and children with disabilities at the forefront of its design and delivery,” Belmonte added, emphasizing the significance of this provision in catering to the needs of young QCitizens who occupy 45% of the city’s total population.
Meanwhile, C40 Cities Chairperson and London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his commitment to continue aiding in the delivery of transformative projects that support climate-smart initiatives.
“The C40 Inclusive Climate Action Cities Fund will provide more support to cities to implement specific projects that address social justice and the climate emergency in tandem. The six cities receiving the first round of funding reflect my commitment to expanding the Global Green New Deal programme and supporting Global South cities in prioritizing climate action that tackles inequality,” said Khan.
C40’s Inclusion and Global Leadership Managing Director Caterina Sarfatti likewise affirmed the climate action coalition’s commitment to invest in the achievement of climate justice and resiliency of cities.
“Inclusive and equitable climate action has never been so urgent and mayors are leading the way in showing what a just, green transition looks like in practice. By providing the necessary financial and technical support, C40’s ICA Fund is a concrete mechanism for them to further scale and accelerate delivery of inclusive climate action that specifically addresses the needs of vulnerable people,” Sarfatti explained.
Quezon City has been an active lone member-city of the C40 Cities from the Philippines since 2015. (QC PAISD/PIA-NCR)