278 municipalities convene in Ekurhuleni to discuss climate change and COP 17 ahead of annual global warming conference and launch the COP17 local Government Programme
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA), together with partners namely; COGTA (Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs), Department of Environmental Affairs, eThekwini Municipality, and South African Cities Network (SACN) are leading the Local Government Programme ahead of the annual COP17.
The Programme is being launched at the South African Mayors’ Conference for Climate Change, the first event of the rich Local Government Programme. Mayors and Municipal officials from municipalities across the country will convene at the South African Mayors Conference on Climate Change from the 9th - 11th of October 2011 held at the Emperors Palace Hotel in Ekurhuleni municipality. The meeting will discuss the science of climate change, outcomes from previous Conferences of Parties leading to the 17thand is a platform for municipalities to share knowledge on climate change and build capacity ahead of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17), which will be held in Durban from 28 November until the 09th of December.
Local Government will inter act with the Minister of International Relations & Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of Water & Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, as well as the Acting Minister of Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs, Nathi Mthethwa and get a briefing about the work being done towards developing a South African negotiation position and COP17-CMP7, the development of the Climate Change Response Policy Whitepaper, and the report on the international negotiations dynamics towards COP.
The Ministers will share information on their roles as the COP17 President, Head of the South African Delegation and the leader in the facilitation of the cooperative governance between national, provincial and local government, in response to climate change and in preparation towards COP 17 respectively. The Ministers will also form part of the press briefing to be held on Sunday, 09 October 2011, planned to officially launch the Local Government Programme of COP17 in its entirety.
“The SA Mayors’ conference programme entails an array of learning events, networking and lobbying opportunities to mobilise and prepare local governments for COP17.This event is part of a number of pre-COP17 events that are aimed at mobilising municipalities and sharing knowledge on critical climate change issues. The Local Government Programme for COP17 also has a strong focus on legacy projects beyond the COP17.”, explains the Chairperson of SALGA, Councillor Thabo Manyoni.
The UNFCCC (United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention) negotiations, of which COP 17 falls under, have recognised local governments as key governmental stakeholders in the global efforts related to climate change. The South African government has prepared a National Climate Change Response Policy with the objective of making a fair contribution to the global effort of stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations and managing potentially damaging climate change impacts through interventions that build and sustain South Africa’s social, economic and environmental resilience. The SA Mayors Conference will discuss progress and challenges encountered by local governments in the efforts of aligning South Africa to global climate change policies.
This mayors meeting takes place against a backdrop of a concern by municipalities that the UNFCCC processes is not making as much progress towards establishing a coordinated global approach to assisting communities to adapt to climate change that is causing severe natural catastrophes that communities and their local authorities are increasingly having to deal with as the world battles to develop implement and an effective coordinated effort to reducing green house gas emissions. Municipalities would like to see adaptation being given as much focus and urgency as mitigation.
Source: http://www.salga.org.za