Jozi fights climate change

THE City has formed partnerships with several big organisations to host events that will provide a platform for local government to investigate climate change and the challenges cities face, in preparation for the 17th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP 17).

COP 17Local governments will be able to deliberate on what to prioritise, since they are in the forefront of potential disasters caused by climate change, according to the City’s director of air quality and climate change, Barney Kgope.

“This is important since there is an inertia in the COP 17 negotiations amongst national governments, and this narrows the window of opportunity to arrest the anticipated warming at two degrees Celsius as required by science,” said Kgope.

The partners include C40 Cities, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives and the South African Cities Network.

Kgope said Joburg’s preparations for the conference were advanced. “The storyline is complete with pictures. We have had several campaigns in Orange Farm, Orlando West, Alexandra and Diepsloot to educate the public on climate change and COP 17.”

Conference
COP 17 will take place from 28 November to 9 December in Durban. Some 30 000 to 40 000 people from across the world are expected to attend, making it the largest event to be hosted in a South African city.

Under the theme “Mobilising citizens to act now to secure a smart city”, Joburg has already held several activities in the run-up to COP 17. These are part of an awareness drive aimed at educating, informing and engaging people about climate change and global warming.

The international conference in Durban presented an opportunity to take the City to the next level through it achievements and initiatives, he said. “We hope to attract investment that will contribute to the vision of a smart and a low carbon city. The City will also bring back lessons on how other cities deal with similar challenges.”

The theme of Johannesburg’s exhibition at COP 17 will be “Johannesburg – a city in transition to a smart city”.

Joburg is educating citizens about the effects of climate changeJoburg is educating citizens about the effects of climate change“Again, this theme was inspired by the GDS 2040. It basically acknowledges the challenges presented by the environment, economic and social issues. In turn, emphasis is on an integrated approach to solve these challenges. This story will be told in Durban through our exhibition.”

GDS 2040 is Joburg’s official strategy to create the city it envisages over the next three decades.

He said the exhibition would tell Joburg’s story, from its humble beginnings, and include its achievements, though he pointed out that these achievements “have come at the expense of the environment”.

Rea Vaya
Current environmental flagship projects include Rea Vaya, Cosmo City climate proofing, landfill gas to energy, retrofitting of street lightening, and Nelson Mandela Bridge, and waste minimization. These will also be showcased at COP 17.

“We will also feature future projects that include the retrofitting of council buildings to save energy, and the non-motorised transport project that will encourage walking and cycling in the city,” said Kgope.

COP 17 is a negotiating forum for countries, with the aim of agreeing on measures to address the challenges of climate change. The Conference of the Parties is the highest body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and consists of environmental ministers who meet once a year to discuss the convention’s development.