The City of Cape Town has again made the Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) Cities A-List of best performing global cities. It is the only city in Africa to have been scored an A for its climate change data, transparency and action.
The CDP annually scores cities from A to D based on their climate change response disclosure. The score indicates how effectively cities are managing, measuring and tackling greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate risks.
‘Cities must be champions for the people when it comes to climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience. We are therefore proud to again make the A-List. We are only one of 88 cities worldwide, and the only city in Africa, to receive the highest rating for the CDP Cities submission this year. By reporting climate data through the CDP each year, Cape Town is transparent about its climate action, tracking progress, monitoring risks and benchmarking against other cities facing similar challenges.
‘The City is currently developing a new Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which is scheduled to be finalised by early next year. It recognises climate change as a key risk to the economy, society and environment, but also as an opportunity through the transformation to a green economy and in seeking new ways to deliver essential services in a more inclusive, cost-effective and sustainable manner. Importantly, CDP data shows cities such as Cape Town are deploying climate action for social and economic benefits and we hope to build on these benefits as well going forward.
‘To deliver the climate change response required, we as cities, together with our partners, now need to shift our focus to turning our plans into action,’ said the City’s Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato.
‘Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, COP26 [the United Nations Climate Change Conference] has been pushed back, but climate action cannot slow down. The majority of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. Meanwhile, cities have both a responsibility to protect residents from environmental shocks now, and in the future, and to provide secure employment opportunities.
‘Climate change is impacting all who live and work in Cape Town. The impacts include food, water and job insecurity, flooding, heat stress, ecosystem degradation, loss of and damage to infrastructure and property due to severe storms and strong winds, increased risk of fire, and the risk of loss of international market access due to the carbon intensity of products and services. We can all take small steps in our homes and neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces to change to more climate-friendly actions. Even small actions can lead to big results when we all work together,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy and Climate Change, Councillor Phindile Maxiti.
For more information on the CDP cities initiative, please visit https://www.cdp.net/en/cities/cities-scores