ETHEKWINI Municipality was lauded by mayors attending the C40 World Mayor’s Summit in Copenhagen for being the first city in Africa to develop the Climate Action Plan aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
Tabling the plan at the pre-summit meeting of African Mayors, eThekwini Municipality Mayor and Vice Chairperson for Africa, Mxolisi Kaunda, said the plan will go a long way towards creating a climate resilient and carbon neutral city.
In response to the Paris Agreemenet, the plan seeks to accelerate the action required to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius which is vital to avoid catastrophic impacts facing vulnerable communities.
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According to the plan, by 2030, Durban will have achieved 40 per cent reduction in emissions and 80 per cent reduction by 2050.
During his address at the African Mayors and Delegates Dialogue, Kaunda thanked the mayors for taking an initiative to address climate change in Africa in a manner that is relevant for the African context.
“As African leaders, we always advocate for African solutions to African problems. From the discussion we have had, it is clear that if C40 work is to succeed in Africa, we must, among other things, integrate inclusivity and resilience in our work recognising that vulnerable communities in Africa bear the brunt of climate-related disasters. Therefore, let us work as a collective to accelerate the transition to resilient and carbon neutral cities,” said Kaunda.
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