Joburg is the greenest

JOHANNESBURG is the lowest greenhouse gas emitter in South Africa, according to the African Green City Index, which also ranked it the lowest electricity consumer with the second-highest amount of green space.

Paul KielstraPaul Kielstra: Joburg one of the greenest citiesThe survey, which looked at 15 African cities, was commissioned by the electronics company, Siemens, and was conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). It found Johannesburg had robust environmental policies, especially for clean energy and congestion reduction.

The full findings will be released at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17), running from 28 November to 9 December in the coastal city of Durban. About 25 000 delegates are expected to attend.

Although the index cites Johannesburg as having the lowest greenhouse gas emissions among South African cities, including Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, it ranked higher compared to the average across the index, which considered Cairo, in Egypt; Casablanca, in Morocco; Accra, in Ghana; Lagos, in Nigeria; Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia; Nairobi, in Kenya; and Maputo, in Mozambique, among others.

Joburg’s greenhouse gas emissions were found to be 984kg per person versus an index average of 1 480kg per person. But the city was heavily reliant on coal-generated electricity, with almost 90 percent of its electricity sourced from coal. The index found Johannesburg had 10 million trees and 231m2 of green space per person against an index average of 74m2 per person.

Recycle
Recyling at sourceJoburg is encouraging residents to recyle waste at sourceBut it recycled less waste – about 5 percent. It had the longest rail network and was still grappling with urban sprawl and frequent traffic jams, with most of its residents relying heavily on private vehicles, according to the index. It compared the environmental performance and policies of African cities across categories such as energy/carbon dioxide, land use, transport, waste, water, sanitation, air quality, and environmental governance.

In giving a preview of the index, Paul Kielstra, a contributing editor at the EIU, said Johannesburg was one of the greenest cities in the Index and ranked above average overall. “Its environmental performance is bolstered by having the second highest amount of green space among the 15 index cities and an extensive bus network, as well as generally robust environmental policies, especially for clean energy and congestion reduction.”

The outcome of the study could support Executive Mayor Parks Tau in implementing the Joburg 2040 Growth and Development Strategy, especially regarding environmental affairs.

The City has an environmental strategy in place, and has resolved that in future, all building plans and site development plans will be evaluated in an attempt to promote low energy consumption. The installation of solar water heating systems, insulation through the roof, energy efficient light bulbs, air conditioners and geysers will also be encouraged.

The Metro Centre buildingThe Metro Centre, one of several energy efficient buildings in the cityThe City wants to be a catalyst in energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean transportation. It has set a benchmark for other African cities to implement mass transport systems that are environmentally friendly. Three prominent energy efficient buildings in the CBD are Main Street Mall, Absa Towers West and Metro Centre.

Design guidelines
Through its Design Guidelines for Energy Efficient Buildings, published in May 2009, the municipality encourages office parks to retrofit their buildings with energy conserving devices to cut down on operating costs. They were drawn up specifically to help architects, planners and developers to produce more energy efficient buildings.

Retrofitting buildings with energy efficient lighting systems and controls and solar heating, including ventilation, and using effective thermal insulation are a start. Already, a number of council buildings have been retrofitted to become more energy efficient, through a joint initiative between the City and the Clinton Foundation.

Globally, there is still a need to find sustainable solutions to climate change and reach consensus in resolving lingering issues, particularly emission reduction targets and the conditions for meeting them. Most governments still don’t agree on how the issue should be tackled, and on appropriate targets and legally binding policies.

The UNFCCC aims to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions to try to stop climate change. As a member state, South Africa has to adhere to all obligations imposed by the UNFCCC. It also gives the country access to international funds dedicated to mitigating climate change.