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22 August 2024
Cape Town leads the national pack in the One Planet City Challenge
The City of Cape Town has been selected as the national winner of WWF’s One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) 2024
As a national winner, Cape Town is now in the running to become one of One Planet City Challenge’s global winners which will be announced in November this year.
Since its inception in 2011, the OPCC initiative has encouraged cities worldwide to set ambitious climate targets aligned with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C.
This is the second time that Cape Town has been named a national winner in this long-running and largest climate challenge for local governments around the world. In 2014, Cape Town went on to become the global winner when it impressed the international jury by demonstrating that the pursuit of a low carbon future and climate mitigation was possible in a city with so many development priorities.
The other national finalists this year were the City of Tshwane and eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
Working together, WWF South Africa and ICLEI Africa, attracted participation from over 30 cities in Africa which form part of the over 350 cities across nearly 50 countries in this year’s OPCC, making it one of the world’s largest and most enduring climate challenges for cities. Participating cities submit their climate action plans or projects through the CDP-ICLEI Track, an accessible reporting platform for cities globally.
The jury commended Cape Town for its emphasis on impactful actions, such as compact urbanisation and the electrification of the transport sector. It said the city had achieved a striking balance between adaptation and mitigation efforts which has been integrated with the UN’s Strategic Development Goals across all departments.
Cape Town’s actions during South Africa’s energy crisis were also considered noteworthy, and a clear demonstration of the city’s commitment to transition toward a renewable energy system.
Each year, OPCC winners and finalists become bolder in their climate action. Consistent reporting is key to this progression, as it provides feedback that highlights strengths and identifies gaps, helping cities improve and develop better climate strategies. Reporting to the CDP-ICLEI Track also ensures that city’s climate data feeds directly into regional and global high-level discussions.
Innocentia Modau from WWF
South Africa said: “We commend Cape Town and all the other participating cities
in South Africa for their efforts and encourage more strong action to
contribute to the urgent global climate agenda.
Dr Meggan Spires, Director:
Climate Change, Energy & Resilience at ICLEI Africa, said: “The
City of Cape Town is one of ICLEI’s longest standing member cities, having
joined our global network in 1994. The City of Cape Town has been a global
trail blazer for climate change action for decades. ICLEI Africa congratulates
the City of Cape Town on being named the South African national winner of WWF’s
One Planet City Challenge. It is a significant and well-deserved
accolade”.
Daniel Sullivan, Director:
Risk and Resilience Department in the City of Cape Town, said: “Cape
Town is proud to be the national winner of the One Planet City Challenge which
acknowledges our commitment to ambitious and transparent climate action. Climate
change threats present an opportunity for all of us to work together to adapt
and thrive, building programmes of collective action and sharing best practice.
Initiatives like OPCC are important platforms for cities to signal and drive
this collaborative approach.”
More about the OPCC
The One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) is a friendly competition during which WWF asks local governments to join its ongoing mission: the creation of cities that enable people and nature to thrive, now and in the future. In this round, +350 local governments from nearly 50 countries heeded the call.
Through this process WWF encourages cities to pursue science-driven climate action by reviewing their climate actions and ambitions and assessing whether they align with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The city’s vision, representing its commitment and its ability to drive change, as well as its potential impact are central in this review. WWF also provides feedback as to how the cities can improve, and national and global frontrunners are celebrated.
Participating cities submitted their climate data via the CDP-ICLEI Track in 2023. The national winners were selected after an in-depth review by an international jury of urban experts.
The jury’s assessment considered a number of key factors and criteria:
- alignment of cities’ targets with the Paris Agreement
- inclusion of a well-balanced climate action plan to support achieving stated goals
- coherence in climate action strategies
- mainstreaming of climate action in the city administration, as well as reinforcement through stakeholder dialogue
- leadership in terms of being open and innovative, and aiming to influence climate action beyond the city’s own borders
National Winners are now eligible for consideration as Global Winners of OPCC 2024, which will be announced and celebrated in November 2024.