Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, says education is the equaliser that gets people out of poverty.
The City of Tshwane kicked off the 2015 Sustainability Week at the CSIR when it hosted more than 20 mayors and dignitaries from the African continent to discuss contributions and best practices to reduce the impact of climate change through the exploration of innovative approaches.
Cities in Africa are facing problems of a similar nature, and formulating a diverse and broad range of responses to “survive” urbanisation while providing safe, liveable, sustainable, productive and efficient environments for their citizens is a logical response.
The African Capital Cities Sustainability Forum (ACCSF) offers decision makers, mayors, technical advisors and implementers an opportunity to share a platform, network, and exchange information on their experiences and innovative projects, while allowing less advanced cities to benefit from learning towards true African excellence.
The City of Tshwane has taken a conscious decision to change Tshwane to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and climate-resilient city, and is exploring sustainable and alternative options for providing services, thereby ensuring value for money through an ambitious sustainability drive.
Welcoming delegates to the ACCSF meeting, the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Councillor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, said local governments are the most at risk because climate impacts are felt at a local level. “It is at the local level where livelihoods are lost, where water security and food security are impacted and where infrastructure is destroyed. Whilst local governments will suffer the full impacts of climate change, they are also most equipped to take rapid action now and prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change,” he said.
The primary outcome of the launch of the ACCSF is an appreciation of the role that African capital cities can play as stewards of urban sustainability in their respective countries and contexts.
Speaking at the ACCSF, Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Government of Africa, said city-to-city cooperation is very important and it is critical that African cities find a solution to youth unemployment.
One of the potential outcomes of the ACCSF is the creation of a pan-African urban observatory on matters of sustainability.
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, says education is the equaliser that gets people out of poverty. She further said it is very important to modernise agriculture, especially in the rural areas, to ensure food sustainability and to work towards a green economy.
The inaugural ACCSF forms part of the annual Sustainability Week, a week-long programme of the City of Tshwane addressing sustainability issues from all angles. It includes a two-day series of seminars at the CSIR International Convention Centre on 24 and 25 June.
Over the weekend, the Youth and Green Economy Seminar will be held at the Tshwane University of Technology and the Green Home Fair will be held at Brooklyn Mall.
Wed, Jun 24, 2015
Long gone are the days that eco-friendly products were expensive and only aimed at an exclusive market. It is fast becoming a global norm to choose household products that reduce the impact on the environment and ensure better conditions for the people involved in their manufacture.
City of Tshwane News Services
Story by City of Tshwane
