Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is currently in Buenos Aires, Argentina to attend the C40 World Mayors Summit 2022 and present the city’s ideas and programs to combat climate change.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Belmonte said she was invited to attend the event as the city is also one of the finalists for the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards.

The C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards recognizes the best policies, projects, and programs led by mayors that are effectively addressing the climate crisis.

Among the activities attended by Belmonte include a bilateral meeting with C40 officials, meeting with the representatives from Global Environment Facility, and dialogue with other mayors from member cities to further strengthen the city’s sustainable development programs.

“Nagkaroon din ng roundtable discussion tungkol sa mga pangunahing isyu at mga hamong kinahaharap ng pandaigdigang pamamahala (There was also a roundtable discussion about key issues and challenges facing global governance),” the city government’s post reads.

During the event, Belmonte was given the “Legislatura de la Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires” or the Legislature of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires that recognizes her as a guest of honor by the city of Buenos Aires.

“Dalawang alkalde lang ang napiling bigyan nito, bukod kay Mayor Belmonte, nabigyan din ng recognition bilang guest of honor ang mayor ng Curitiba, Brazil na si Rafael Greca (Only two mayors were chosen for the recognition. Apart from Mayor Belmonte, the Mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, Rafael Greca, was also given recognition as guest of honor),” the city government said in its post. 

C40 is a network of mayors of nearly 100 world-leading cities collaborating to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis.

Seventy cities from around the world applied to compete for the prestigious awards and only 20 city projects were chosen as finalists, including the “GrowQC” project to help the cities food security program. (PNA)