“Local governments in Africa, while only producing 3.6 percent of global emissions as a continent, will feel the disastrous impacts of climate change.”
Mr. Peerke de Bakker
Global Environmental Facility Division,
United Nations Environment Programme


On September 22, 2006 African local government leaders attended the African Cities Symposium on Climate Change on Wednesday, 20 September 2006, a special session at the 4^th Africities Summit.

Jointly hosted by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the focus of the African Cities Symposium on Climate Change was to:

• Fully brief African local government leaders on climate change projections for Africa, focusing on the latest science and projections, and the need for adaptation and mitigation options.
• Enable African local government leaders to be engaged in the international climate change negotiations that will be held later this year in Nairobi, as the city hosts the 12^th meeting of the Conference of Parties.
• Introduce African local government leaders to adaptation projects and opportunities in Africa, enabling local governments to protect themselves from the impacts of climate change.
• Explore climate change solutions particularly relevant to African local governments. Decisions made and implemented at the local level – on water supply and treatment, vehicles, waste management systems, buildings – influence energy use, industrial development, air quality and climate change action, and public procurement.

Attended by over 60 Africities delegates, the Symposium produced a formal statement on the role of African local governments on climate change.  ICLEI and UNEP will work with the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kenyan Ministry of Natural Resources – as host of COP12, to determine how the statement can be conveyed at COP12.

ICLEI would like to convey their appreciation to our partners for this event, UNEP, who financially supported the event, and were instrumental in the logistical arrangements with the Africities organizers.

Please find below news and outcomes from the African Cities Symposium on Climate Change.

**************************************

Africities Daily Newspaper article
Fact Sheets
Final Program
Participants List
Photographs
Media Release
Presentations
Statement on behalf of African local governments

On Thursday, 21 September, the daily newspaper on the 4th Africities Summit included a feature on African local government leaders and climate change, which refers back to the African Cities Symposium on Climate Change.  To view the article, please click here.

Click here to download fact sheets on actions that can be taken at the local level, available in English and in French.

Download the final program as a PDF document here.

A list of the participants who attended the Symposium will be available shortly.

Click here to view the photographs taken at the Symposium.

Photos will be uploaded on Tuesday, 3 October.

Click here to read the media release prepared on the African Cities Symposium on Climate Change.

Please click to view some of the presentations made at the African Cities Symposium on Climate Change.
Climate Change and Africa - Professor L.A. Ogallo, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC)  (coming soon)

Local-Global Linkages - Peerke de Bakker, Division of GEF Coordination, UNEP  (coming soon)

Overview of International Climate Change Negotiations - Dr. Salemata Wade, Coordinate Research Action, Energy Program, ENDA, Climate Action Network - Africa.

Participants of the African Cities Symposium on Climate Change produced a series of recommendations and conclusions that were shared at the end of the Symposium.  To view this statement, please click here.

ICLEI and UNEP will work together to strive for these recommendations to be shared at the upcoming 12th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, being held in Nairobi in November, 2006.