The Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011 (LoCS 2011) Congress, aimed at enhancing the capacity of African local authorities in respect of climate change issues, kicked off this evening at the CTICC in Cape Town, South Africa.
This five day event will bring together local leaders representing over 50 African cities and towns from 25 African countries to discuss climate adaptation solutions for the continent. The main objective of the LoCS Congress is to provide real solutions for African cities via useful tools, technical workshops, and international experts showcasing best practice examples. A declaration from this Congress will be taken to the high-level segment of the international climate negotiations that will be held in Durban at the end of the year (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties 17, UNFCCC COP17).
The Mayor of Cape Town, Dan Plato, and ICLEI’s Secretary General Konrad Otto-Zimmerman opened the event by welcoming delegates at the welcoming reception. “Climate change and environmental issues are very close to the City of Cape Town’s heart and we look forward to recommendations for tackling these issues during the duration of the Congress”, said Mayor Plato.
Mr Otto-Zimmermann said that “bringing the leaders of local and national governments, development aid agencies, as well as corporate and technical institutions, is sorely needed to drive the climate agenda that the (African) continent needs”. He also described the difficulties faced by local leaders who have original ideas, but do not have a platform from which to share them, and therefore thanked the LoCS Congress for providing this much-needed platform.
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, an international organisation of over 1200 local government members from around the world, coordinated this first Pan-African event to take place under the ICLEI - Africa ULAS (Urban Leadership for African Sustainability) banner.
ULAS is ICLEI Africa’s new programme which includes a high level platform for local leaders serious about sustainability. It connects leaders, facilitates information exchange, informs policy process, shares good practice and develops innovative, locally-designed tools.
ICLEI is delighted to welcome so many African cities to LoCS. Within 90 years it is expected that 90 % of the World’s population will be living in cities. Represented at this Congress we have four of the fastest-growing cities in Africa. ICLEI believes that it is at the local level of (where leaders are closest to their communities) that the solutions to global environmental sustainability lie.
