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29 September 2020
JOIN US, FROM ANYWHERE: Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2020
This year’s only virtual climate change congress for African city leaders and innovators will focus on unlocking financing for transformative and sustainable urban development.
The 5th Local Climate Solutions for Africa (LoCS4Africa) Congress, ICLEI Africa’s flagship climate event, will take place online from 3 to 12 November 2020. This free-to-attend solution catalyst will contribute significantly to raising climate action momentum on the African continent, while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
LoCS4Africa 2020 is presented in partnership with the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA). The congress is co-hosted by the Government of Rwanda, the City of Kigali and the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities. Institutional partners include: United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), C40 Cities and Climate Chance.
As we work towards recovery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to build more resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities, harnessing innovation, ingenuity and nature-based solutions.
Sub-Saharan Africa is responsible for only 4% of the annual global greenhouse emissions that cause climate change, but Africa is and will continue to be the continent experiencing some of the worst impacts.
In order to take climate action and build back better, African cities need climate finance, yet only 3% of global climate finance and investments flow into sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, we have almost no data to indicate how much of that money gets to the local level.
“The City of Kigali is committed to working with all stakeholders in addressing the challenges of climate change, and recognises the critical need for support to Africa’s local governments to allow transformative climate action to occur, with urgency. We invite our fellow cities – both subnational governments and the stakeholders working within African cities – to join the City of Kigali and ICLEI Africa, as co-hosts of the Local Climate Solutions for Africa Congress,” said Honourable Mayor Pudence Rubingisa, City of Kigali, Rwanda.
A first of its kind for the continent, LoCS4Africa 2020 will allow the public and private sector working in African cities to convene remotely – and for free – to strengthen cooperation and unlock financing needed for transformative climate action.
“Cities, national governments and financial institutions need to step out of their comfort zones to find common language and understanding, and support each other better towards building more bankable projects,” said Ms Kobie Brand, ICLEI Africa’s Regional Director, speaking at the World Economic Forum 2020.
The LoCS4Africa 2020 virtual congress will focus on unlocking finance in African cities, across four sub-tracks:
- energy, infrastructure and ecomobility
- research, development and innovation
- managing risk and harnessing nature-based solutions
- nexus and circularity
The LoCS4Africa 2020 virtual congress will bring together local, regional and national governments as well as the private sector, community-based organisations and researchers to progress the partnerships needed for climate resilient development, while keeping COVID-19 recovery, gender quality and multi-level governance high on the agenda.
The sessions will be curated to create neutral platforms for open and transparent conversations between groups that rarely engage directly, balancing the need for urgent action with the time it takes to build relationships. Sessions will range from high-level discussions open to all interested parties, to exclusive networking and learning opportunities in the form of solution rooms and capacity hubs.
The LoCS4Africa programme is available on the event website.