Chuck Baclagon

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, drafted in the shadow of war and empire, was meant to remind us what it means to be human—and what all people deserve by virtue of that fact alone. It tells us that freedom, dignity, and a decent standard of living aren’t luxuries. They’re rights. The right to clean air. To move freely. To speak out. To live with cultural identity intact and a roof overhead. These aren’t lofty abstractions—they’re the bedrock of justice in the twenty-first century.

And if you want to know where those rights are most at risk—and most ripe for affirmation—look no further than the world’s cities.

Take Metro Manila. It’s one of many urban centers teetering at the edge of climate crisis. On one hand, it’s a hotspot of emissions—its roads jammed with cars, its skies often shrouded in smog. On the other, it’s a place where aspirations and injustices collide daily. Migrants from the provinces, informal workers, displaced Indigenous peoples—they all converge here in pursuit of opportunity, only to find themselves stranded in communities plagued by pollution, eviction, and inequality.

And yet, these same cities hold the key. As Christiana Figueres once put it, “Cities are where the climate battle will largely be won or lost.” If we decarbonize cities the right way—through clean energy, inclusive public transport, green infrastructure, and affordable housing—we don’t just reduce emissions. We build the conditions for justice.

That’s because decarbonization, when done right, affirms the very rights outlined in the UDHR: the right to health, housing, and participation in public life. It lowers the cost of living, creates green jobs, and cuts deadly air pollution. It protects communities from being erased by rising seas or reckless development. It honors people’s right to live, move, and work in cities that are not only climate-resilient—but also fair.

But let’s be clear: these outcomes are not automatic. The shift to a low-carbon economy is not just a matter of meeting our Paris Agreement targets. It’s about changing the development path we’re on so that the country can thrive in a warming world. That means climate action must go hand in hand with justice—for workers, for Indigenous peoples, for the urban poor, for those long locked out of decision-making.

And here’s what that means in practice:

Urban Decarbonization Demands Democratic Space
We can’t green our cities while silencing the people who live in them. When community organizers are red-tagged, harassed, or disappeared, we destroy the very civic space needed for equitable climate solutions. From Indigenous leaders resisting land grabs to youth advocating for clean air, the people defending vulnerable communities are essential architects of the future. If we want cities that work for all, we need to protect their right to speak out.

Clean Cities Begin With Cultural and Economic Sovereignty
Environmental defenders aren’t just saving forests or coastlines—they’re protecting ways of life. The fight against extractive industries in the countryside mirrors urban struggles against gentrification and displacement. If we want climate-resilient cities, we have to listen to—and stand in solidarity with—those already resisting ecological collapse. Urban decarbonization must uphold people’s right to remain rooted, culturally and economically, in the places they call home.

Energy Democracy Starts in the City
The transition to renewable energy is inevitable. But justice within that transition is not. Cities must embrace community-owned solar, decentralized grids, and energy-efficient housing that benefits—not burdens—the poor. If climate policy is made behind closed doors, or enforced through militarized policing, it replicates the same injustices we seek to solve. We need clean energy that shifts power—not just wattage.

Mobility as a Right: Decarbonizing Transport for Justice
Our current transport systems serve congestion, pollution, and corporate profits. But they often fail the people who rely on them most: workers, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. Investing in safe, low-emission public transport and active mobility isn’t just good climate policy—it’s a human rights mandate. Every person has the right to move through their city safely, affordably, and with dignity.

Protecting Environmental Defenders Is Protecting the Planet
Across the Philippines, the most committed climate advocates are also the most endangered. From anti-coal campaigns in Visayas and Mindanao to anti-reclamation efforts in the capital, environmental defenders are under attack. But if we can’t protect the people defending the Earth, we’ve already lost the climate fight. Safe civic space is not a side issue—it’s the foundation of every green policy worth its name.

In sum, the decarbonization of our cities isn’t some technocratic exercise in emissions math. It’s a moral imperative. A human rights obligation. And a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what our cities—and our futures—can look like.

Because a cleaner city isn’t just one with more bike lanes or solar panels. It’s one where people breathe easier, speak freely, and live with dignity. It’s a city where justice runs through every street.