COP21 a turning point in war against climate change

04 December 2015

 

Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau believes this year’s climate change negotiations taking place in Paris, France, are poised to be a turning point in the global fight against one of the biggest challenges the world has ever faced.

 

Mayor Tau flew out of the country on Thursday night shortly after the end of the five-day Africities Summit, which he hosted at the Sandton Convention Centre, to join other mayors from around the world in Paris for the Climate Summit for Local Leaders, being held alongside the 21st edition of the United Nations’ Conference of Parties (COP21).

COP21 started on Monday November 30 and will run until Saturday December 12.

Mayor Tau says world mayors will play a key role in talks aimed at significantly reducing the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“Mayors are uniquely positioned as leaders on climate,” Cllr Tau shortly before his departure.

“The cities we govern account for 70% of the world’s total energy-related carbon emissions and 90% of the world’s largest cities, with the exception of Johannesburg, are on coastal or intercostal waterways. This makes many cities, including Johannesburg, increasingly vulnerable to negative economic, environmental and health impacts. He said more than ever cities were playing a pivotal role in promoting policies that impacted on the daily lives of their citizens."

“From small cities to mega-cities, to our work here in the City of Johannesburg, mayors are finding solutions. From a simple plan to replace light bulbs to major green transportation investments, some of the most innovative ideas to combat climate change are already implemented at the local level and are being replicated,” he said.

On Thursday night the City of Johannesburg was announced as the winner of the prestigious C40 Cities Award for its leadership in tackling climate change through its successful Green Bond initiative.

The already oversubscribed Green Bond initiative has raised more than R1.458-billion in the past financial year.

Johannesburg was among 10 cities announced as winners of the third annual C40 Cities Awards.

“While the world is starting to make strides towards emissions reduction standards and countries are coming to the negotiating table, increasingly the data shows what local leaders have known for years –cities are leading the way.”

During the summit, Mayor Tau will present the recently signed Johannesburg Declaration on EcoMobility in Cities to the conference “to convey the message that urban transport is key to addressing climate change”.

He will also deliver a message from the Africities Summit to the Compact of Mayors at the 1 000 Mayors Summit.