Durban scores high marks for climate change adaptation reporting
The report confirms that the eThekwini Municipality has completed a climate risk and vulnerability assessment, an adaptation and mitigation plan, a verified greenhouse gas emissions inventory and has set adaptation goals and mitigation targets.
The eThekwini Municipality’s unwavering commitment to mitigating climate change continues to thrive. The city recently was scored ‘A’ for adapting to the impacts of climate change and its preparation for natural disasters by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
The CDP is responsible for tracking mitigation and adaptation actions in all C40 cities. According to the CDP, to earn an ‘A’ score, organisations must show environmental leadership, disclosing action on climate change.
They must demonstrate best practices in strategy and action, including setting science-based targets in creating a climate transition plan.
Sean O’Donoghue, senior manager of climate change adaptation, said, “Within the thematic scores, eThekwini’s ‘A’ score shows that we are responding to climate change, in particular preparing for the impacts like flooding, heat, and sea level rise. This includes actions like implementing the Transformative River Management Programme, which aims to install community-based river maintenance in all 7, 300km of streams in the municipality.”
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He said by removing alien invasive plants and plastics that choke the waterways, it is calculated that significant damage from flooding can be avoided.
The report confirms that the eThekwini Municipality has completed a climate risk and vulnerability assessment, an adaptation and mitigation plan, a verified greenhouse gas emissions inventory and has set adaptation goals and mitigation targets.
The municipality is a megacity member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group- a partnership of 97 of the globe’s iconic cities, that have committed to tackling climate change.
O’Donoghue said the eThekwini Municipality’s two key strategic climate change documents, the Durban Climate Change Strategy and the Climate Action Plan, inform the city’s response to this global existential threat.
“Outputs from reporting are presented to the city’s climate change committee, chaired by eThekwini mayor, Cllr Mxolisi Kaunda and the executive management committee, chaired by the city manager, Musa Mbhele. A climate change portal will soon be launched on the city’s strategic hub. This will be a one-stop shop for all things climate in the city,” he added.
