In 2018, as part of the C40 Cities Climate Change Leadership Group (C40), four South African Metros—Johannesburg, Cape Town, eThekwini, and Tshwane—signed the Global Net Zero Carbon Buildings Declaration.

As signatories to this commitment, these cities are working towards look to achieve sustainable buildings, powered by renewable energy for new buildings by 2030 and existing ones by 2050. Not only does this declaration align with the imperative of the Paris Agreement to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C, but also follows South Africa’s national strategy, and the post-COVID recovery approach of ‘building back better.’

Partnering with C40 South Africa Building Programme, the cities are supported in developing and implementing transformational building energy-efficient policies and by-laws. The approach is rooted in South Africa’s existing national and national climate change commitments and as such, complements existing policies. Although the programme’s focus is primarily on the point of construction, it is mindful of the broader spatial, resource, social, and economic context.

In Episode 1 of the Roadmap to Net Zero Carbon Buildings (NZCB) by 2030 series, four passionate city officials join us to discuss how they are rising to the Net Zero-Carbon challenge:

Discover the C40 South African New Buildings Programme within the context of City climate responses.
Understand what is meant by net zero-carbon for cities, and how does this fit with the national regulatory environment?
Learn about an ambitious, pioneering new direction and challenge for South African cities,
Share the knowledge and challenge - what do the cities have to do to move from their current status quo to net zero carbon buildings?

Guests: Liana Strydom – City of Johannesburg, Kedibone Modiselle– City of Tshwane, Lesley Sibanda – City of Cape Town and Nondumiso Mthembu – eThekwini Municipality

Co-guests: Hlengiwe Radebe and Megan Euston-Brown from Sustainable Energy Africa

Talking Transformation Podcast Team: Amaal Salie and Pete Ahmad

With thanks to C40 Cities.

Twitter: @TalkingTransfo1 and @SEA_UrbanEnergy

Email: talkingtransformation101@gmail.com

Recorded February 16th 2021

Episode 14: Blockchains and Housing Ladders

Talking TransformationBy Pete AhmadNov 09, 2019