Cities are ready with robust climate action plans and ambitious targets that often outpace their national counterparts. What they need now is support from their national governments and financiers to turn their prioritized actions into resilience-building projects. Cities are hubs of innovation, and, especially in the smaller and medium-sized municipalities, local governments are agile and
National climate plans from all over the world rolled in ahead of COP26, but as yet only one country’s plans are ambitious enough to meet all the Paris Agreement goals. The inclusion of subnational governments played a crucial part. The UNFCCC’s 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in November is a critical summit for addressing
This blog was written by Adel Strydom, Senior Communications Officer at ICLEI Africa, and Kale Roberts, Senior Program Officer at ICLEI USA. Cities, regions and other local governments – where climate action so often ultimately plays out – are driving finance conversations at the summit. Yesterday’s #Time4MultileveAction dialogue brought the right people in the room
As cities around the world make commitments to become carbon neutral, African cities have to consider the millions of people that still require basic energy services and find ways to increase access while limiting emissions and resource use. According to 2019 data from IEA, 600 million people in Africa are yet to receive energy access.
In its 30 years of urban sustainability work, ICLEI has partnered closely with many of the world’s cities to form long-standing, mutually supportive relationships. The relationship between the City of Cape Town and ICLEI Africa is a key example. The City’s Executive Director of Spatial Planning and Environment, Mr Osman Asmal, reflects. The City of
By Adel Strydom and Timothy Blatch During the global pandemic there are many unknowns, but in the midst of this uncertainty, city residents are reaffirming their need for nature. This World Biodiversity Day is a unique moment to reimagine nature-centric cities. In Durban a young mom walks along a brook that winds through an otherwise
Passive design and insulation can reduce a building’s energy demand and the city’s overall demand for energy, making renewables a more viable option. Increasingly, African cities have guidelines to make these shifts, but the challenge lies in making them legal requirements. As global awareness around the impact of fossil fuels and the need for cleaner
The annual Climate Chance Summit in Accra, Ghana brought together thousands of subnational actors to discuss innovative ways to tackle climate change and create thriving, sustainable cities on the African continent. The event showcased and encouraged local government climate action on the ground and financing mechanisms to support these efforts.
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