SA cities score at COP21

The City of Cape Town and Johannesburg have been named international winners for climate action at the Paris Climate Conference (COP21).

The City of Cape Town was presented with the C40 Cities Award for “Adaptation Implementation”, recognising the City’s Water Conservation and Demand Management (WCWDM) Programme, while Johannesburg was the winner in the Finance and Development category for its Green Bond initiative.

The two cities were Africa’s only winners. The C40 Cities Awards spans 10 categories, all recognising cities demonstrating “climate action leadership”, this according the awards’ website.

Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille was at the awards ceremony in Paris to accept the accolade on behalf of the city, and said: “We are extremely proud of the City’s WCWDM programme which has been instrumental in establishing Cape Town as a national leader in reducing water demand and losses.

“I was greatly honoured to receive this award on behalf of all residents of Cape Town who have worked with us to reduce water demand and implement water conservation measures,” she said.

The WCWDM programme began in 2007 and focuses on water conservation and water demand management, aiming to minimise water waste and promoting the efficient use of water. It includes raising public awareness, free of charge plumbing repairs for low-income households, and the training of “community plumbers”.

Johannesburg’s award-winning Green Bond is a funding model for green projects which previously did not have any financing and could thus not be implemented.

The other categories awarded on the night included Carbon Measurement and Planning, Adaptation Planning and Assessment, Building Energy Efficiency, Green Energy, Solid Waste, Smart Cities and Smart Community Engagement, Sustainable Communities, and Transportation.

The jury included representatives from World Bank, Bloomberg Associates, World Wildlife Fund Canada, and the University of Cape Town.

Source: sbeta.iol