Cape Town, Johannesburg and eThekwini have been chosen as national finalists in the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) for 2017-2018. Launched in 2011, the challenge (previously the Earth Hour City Challenge) highlights the crucial role cities play in the transition toward a low-carbon and sustainable future.
To date, over 400 cities across five continents have heeded the call to transform to more sustainable city planning and energy systems, consumption patterns, resource uses and waste management. This year’s entrants included 132 cities in 23 countries.
The challenge, which is now held every two years, recognises cities for developing infrastructure, housing, transport, and mobility solutions to power the global transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
The 2017–2018 competition puts extra emphasis on sustainable transport and mobility – a major environmental challenge for cities around the globe, with almost one-quarter of carbon emissions derived from transportation. It is a challenge, but also an opportunity for cities to capitalise on sustainable solutions and synergies to meet urban lifestyles and mobility demands, while improving quality of life without exhausting the planet’s ecological capacity.
Finalists face an international jury of urban sustainability experts that looks for cities that demonstrate inspiring, ambitious and credible climate agendas, examining how they contribute to meeting the Paris Agreement goals.
Joining the coalition of cities committed to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and following up these commitments with action are considered in the evaluation. Higher ambitions and the impact of corresponding action plans will also be favoured. Since the thematic focus for the 2017–2018 OPCC is sustainable transport, the jury will pay special attention to cities that present ambitious mobility plans and actions.
The jury will consider differences in resources and starting points to ensure a level playing field for evaluation. Overall, the jury will look for cities that demonstrate efforts to align with a transparent and science-based GHG emission reduction trajectory; have ambitious and strategic action plans to meet stated commitments; integrate actions into coherent and overarching climate action plans; lead with respect to local context and conditions; and highlight sustainable mobility efforts.
Contact Andrea Weiss, WWF SA, Tel 021 657-6600, aweiss@wwf.org.za
