29-31 July 2009, City of Tshwane, South Africa

The African Local Governments Climate Roadmap Pre-Copenhagen Summit brought together Local Government Leaders from all over Africa, together with key stakeholders and leaders from civil society, national and provincial government local government associations and UN and development agencies in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. With more than 200 participants, this high-level event was well attended by LGs from across South, East, Central and West Africa.

The main aim of the Summit was to mobilize African Local Governments to actively engage towards a strong Climate Agreement in Copenhagen in December 2009 at the UNFCCC COP15, and to ensure that local governments are formally recognized as key climate change role players.

One of the key immediate outcomes was the ‘African Local Government Declaration on Climate Change’, which will feed into numerous other African and International processes and preparations ahead of COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 2009. These outcomes were also presented to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs National Climate Consultation session by ICLEI Africa on 4 August 2009, and will subsequently feed into the South African National Climate Change negotiating process.

Some main statements of the declaration are:

• MITIGATION: As a continent, Africa has to date contributed very little to the problem of human induced climate change. Thus, the declaration requests to the Parties to initiate a process of emissions targets for developing countries that are cautious, consciously developed and reflect local levels of development;
• ADAPTATION: African vulnerability is exacerbated by high levels of poverty and limited adaptive ability. Thus, the declarations calls on the Parties to establish an adaptation framework that is flexible, accessible, supportive of long-term, sustainable development and responsive to the African local government reality, and its diverse regional characteristics. Furthermore, a visible commitment, including substantial resources, shall be realized towards adaptation commensurate with the anticipated impacts and associated costs;
• TECHNOLOGY: Key local government competencies are important with regards to climate change response, including spatial planning. Thus, the declaration requests the Parties to recognize local government as key partners in implementing climate change action and to support the empowerment and capacity development of African local government as the site of the major climate response implementation;
• FINANCE: Africa has substantial energy requirements for poverty alleviation and economic development. Thus, the declaration requests the Parties to build and develop a pro-poor framing of the global response to climate change;

The summit was organized by ICLEI Africa Secretariat in partnership with South African Cities Network (SACN) and United Cities and Local Governments for Africa (UCLGA), UN-HABITAT, SALGA, Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) and the South African National Department of Environment.