Plans to further the four-year-old Climate Partnership between the DA-led Drakenstein and Stadt Neumarkt were one of the points on the agenda when a delegation from the municipality travelled to Germany in July this year.
The Executive Mayor of Drakenstein, Conrad Poole, formally addressed the town council of Neumarkt and the two municipalities discussed climate change, fair trade, environmental education, renewable energy and organic farming.
In 2013 Drakenstein municipality was selected to participate in the Global 50 Municipal Climate Change Partnership project. These partnerships were established between a total of 50 municipalities in Germany and municipalities all over the African continent. The aim of the partnership project is to pursue the urgent issue of climate change alleviation and to facilitate climate adaptation.
Drakenstein and Neumarkt refined the Joint Program of Action – which forms the strategic framework for the Climate Partnership – and distilled collaboration focus points for the next three years leading up to 2020.
The delegations did on-site inspections of rainwater retention basins, a local heating centre and a new substation. They also visited Munich to discuss The Climate Partnership in the context of the current partnership: Western Cape – Bavaria.
Executive Mayor Poole was accompanied by executive committee member Lorraine Willemse and Drakenstein’s executive director of planning and development, Lauren Waring. The visit was fully funded and hosted by the Stadt Neumarkt.
DA-led Drakenstein hit Germany to discuss Climate Partnership
