Africa has one of the fastest urban population growths in the world and urbanization is known to be an important factor in the production of wastewater. It is estimated that 90% of the wastewater is discharged directly into rivers, lakes and oceans. Given such a background, the African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW) dedicated a … Continued
"Taking the baton from Vancouver as Global Earth Hour Capital 2014 is an exceptional honour for Cape Town and is international endorsement of our comprehensive efforts around sustainability," says Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille. Read the whole article here or view the newsletter here!
On 8 June 2014, people in communities around the globe will celebrate this year’s World Oceans Day with the theme of “Together we have the power to protect the ocean.” Hundreds of events are planned to help people get involved in solutions for a healthy ocean and society – by supporting clean energy choices, trash-free … Continued
The 2014 “Biodiversity Summit for Cities and Sub-National Governments” will be held in parallel with the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) from 12-14 October 2014. The Summit will convene hundreds of representatives from local, regional and national governments to strengthen multi-level cooperation in support … Continued
A landmark ISO standard outlining key measurements for evaluating a city’s service delivery and quality of life has just been published. Its use will help city managers, politicians, researchers, business leaders, planners, designers and other professionals to focus on key issues, and put in place policies for more liveable, tolerant, sustainable, resilient, economically attractive and … Continued
Every 5th of June is a day used by the United Nations to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues and encourages political action. World Environment Day (WED) is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Over the years it has grown to be a broad, global platform for … Continued
“Developing and emerging economies account for 70% of countries globally which support Renewable Energy uptake through relevant policies and actions,”comments Emani Kumar, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Deputy Secretary General and ICLEI South Asia Executive Director on the newly released Renewables 2014 Global Status Report. The latest edition of the annual Renewables Global Status … Continued
The Urban Climate Change Governance Survey (UCGS) presents a global overview of the current state of urban responses to climate change. The UCGS covers both the “what” and the “how” of local action on climate change. Capturing key information on cities’ climate plans, targets, and projects, it provides the most up-to-date portrait of urban responses … Continued
Making cities resilient to disaster and the impacts of climate change has undoubtedly become a responsibility of all local leaders.This became evident during deliberations by over 400 experts, and practitioners who convened for Resilient Cities 2014: The 5th Global Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation in Bonn Germany. The Congress brought together 90 local government … Continued
Cities account for 37–49% of global greenhouse gas emissions and urban infrastructure accounts for over 70% of global energy use. This is just one of the facts found in the “Climate Change: Implications for Cities – Key Findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. It reveals the growing threat of climate … Continued