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By 2050, almost 70% of the population of developing countries will be living in cities. Deploying sustainable urban infrastructure and services is a massive challenge. This new issue of Private Sector & Development presents several examples of how sustainable urban projects, including CoM SSA (on page 38), are designed and rolled out.
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In Africa, 277 billion USD must be mobilised annually to meet 2030 climate goals. However, at current levels, at least nine times more climate finance is required to meet this need. The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) Secretariat, in partnership with the Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN), brought financiers, local and national governments together at its first in-person climate finance learning lab in Windhoek, Namibia, last month.
Read more hereWe, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) Regional Mayors Forum (RMF) - Governors and Mayors representing the voices of over 350 cities in sub-Saharan Africa, with a total population exceeding 150 million people - make the following Declaration at the Africa Climate Summit and the Africa Climate Week 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya.
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The aim of this report is to review and summarise what data are needed for local governments to effectively plan for climate change, how these data are used and for what purpose, highlight the challenges faced in data-scarce regions across Africa, and showcase some innovative solutions to these challenges.
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Climate change is a global challenge that disproportionately impacts vulnerable communities, and African cities are particularly susceptible to its adverse effects. In a recent workshop held in Inhambane, Mozambique, ICLEI Africa and the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) Secretariat, in collaboration with CoM SSA co-funder and co-implementing partner, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), with technical support from UN-Habitat, highlighted the urgent need to address climate vulnerabilities at the local municipality level. This collaborative effort brought together political representatives, municipal leaders, and various organisations to discuss SEACAP development, with a particular focus on the development of risk and vulnerability assessments (RVA’s).
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Mombasa, 15 December 2023 – The County Government of Mombasa takes a groundbreaking step in combating urban flooding issues with the introduction of the City Local Adaptation Booster (LAB), a collaborative initiative between the County Government and the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) co-implementing partner, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The Mombasa City LAB aims to unite local and international experts in creating sustainable, locally tailored solutions to enhance adaptation to climate change.
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Abuja, December 13, 2023 – In a ground-breaking move towards sustainable urban development, the Nile University, in partnership with the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) co-implementing partner, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), successfully unveiled the Urban Lab initiative to establish an efficient waste management system in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. This initiative also seeks to enhance community awareness about waste issues and promote environmental sustainability through strategic partnerships and innovative waste management solutions.
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At a roundtable during the European Union (EU) Climate Diplomacy Week, Mayors and representatives from Accra, Tema, Sekondi-Takoradi, and Awutu Senya East join forces to address the pressing issue of climate change.
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We need to take a long, hard look at the state of our planet and map a better course for our future. We need genuine collaboration, true inclusivity and authentic commitment to decrease the significant gap between promises and climate action. The recent Africa Climate Summit and UNFCCC Africa Climate Week, together with the Global Stocktake Report, highlighted that there is an urgent need to scale up a rigorous all-of-economy, all-of-society approach which leads to significant climate action this decade in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
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The Climate Chance Conference Africa 2023 brought together over 800 actors from high-level climate experts, local governments, ministries, financiers, the private sector, and civil society.
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Gender equality is a significant objective of CoM SSA as tackling climate change and improving access to energy needs to be an inclusive process which leads to inclusive outcomes while reducing gender inequalities. CoM SSA is committed to mainstreaming gender across all climate and energy actions implemented.
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Sekondi-Takoradi, 12 October 2023 - The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), reinforcing its dedication to climate resilience, sustainable energy, and low-emission development. With this move, STMA underlines its commitment to a sustainable future for its citizens.
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Clean energy is a significant concern for both Mombasa and Nakuru counties in Kenya, requiring joint efforts for effective solutions. In recognition of this, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA)’s co-implementing partner, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), organised a city-to-city exchange between these counties in September. This discussion enabled county governments to share experiences on Urban Smart Energy (USE), renewable energy, climate change and energy efficiency projects.
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The Municipalities of Maputo, Matola and Boane have developed a firm commitment to carry out the actions defined by their newly developed climate action plan, as was evident in September 2023 when the plan was officially launched.
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We, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) Regional Mayors Forum (RMF) - Governors and Mayors representing the voices of over 350 cities in sub-Saharan Africa, with a total population exceeding 150 million people - make the following Declaration at the Africa Climate Summit and the Africa Climate Week 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya
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African subnational governments have evidence-based plans and projects to accelerate climate action, but significantly increased funding is needed to implement these at scale. An unprecedented number of subnational government leaders present at the Africa Climate Week and Summit, held from the 4th to the 8th of September in Nairobi, Kenya called for the mandatory inclusion of subnational governments in the preparation of the next phase of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by 2025, re-emphasising the critical importance of multilevel governance in tackling the climate crisis.
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Cities in Cameroon and Kenya have taken remarkable strides toward securing a sustainable energy future by formally signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) in June and August 2023, respectively. These formal agreements outline the terms of cooperation between the cities and CoM SSA's partner, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), to establish a collaborative framework for exploring alternative energy sources through the Urban Smart Energy (USE) process and focusing on nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation.
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In Africa, 277 billion USD must be mobilised annually to meet 2030 climate goals. However, at current levels, at least nine times more climate finance is required to meet this need. The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) Secretariat, in partnership with the Association of Local Authorities in Namibia (ALAN), brought financiers, local and national governments together at its first in-person climate finance learning lab in Windhoek, Namibia, last month.
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In July, over 275 people attended the launch of the Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) of the cities of Tchaoudjo in Togo. Officially signed by the Mayors of the four cities in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of the Environment and Forest Resources, the Ministry for Territorial Development, technical and financial partners, and importantly representatives of the community, the document and its objectives were presented by the municipal teams.
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Mombasa County, located on the Kenyan coast, has taken a significant step towards addressing climate change and advancing sustainable energy solutions as a signatory to the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA). As Kenya’s second-largest city, with an urban population of 1.2 million people, the fast-growing County recognises the crucial need for an uninterrupted power supply for its residents and government services. In addition to its rising energy demand, the County has also experienced increased energy costs due to recent tariff adjustments in 2018 and 2023.
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The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is committed to reducing projected carbon emissions by 25%, increasing household access to electricity to 99.6% and access to clean cooking alternatives to 85% by 2030. To accomplish these ambitious goals, AMAC, with the support of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), has launched their Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP). The plan outlines practical and impactful actions to bolster resilience and enrich the lives of its citizens.
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The Municipality of Praia implements valuable information and awareness-raising activities on climate and sustainable energy in the city's secondary schools, presenting its environmental projects with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the European Union initiative, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA).
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In May 2023, Kisumu County’s waste-to-biogas project was rated the ‘best overall’ and winner in Africa during a pitch contest at the Cities and Climate Change Technical Workshop in Mombasa, Kenya. This workshop, organized by the World Bank and CoM SSA partner, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), focused on ‘Moving from Plans to Implementation’, highlighting climate action at the local level for resilient urban development.
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City-to-city exchanges are an important component of the work of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) network, where local governments can share knowledge amongst one another on the processes, challenges and opportunities faced during the development and implementation of climate action.
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Uganda has one of the lowest per capita electricity consumption rates in the world. Generation capacity is dominated by hydropower, supported by heavy fuel oil and biomass cogeneration power plants. Nonetheless, Uganda is richly endowed with renewable energy resources for energy production and the provision of energy services.
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The responsibility to effectively manage waste is a major challenge to many cities. Nairobi, like most cities, has faced many challenges in transforming their waste management system. The city currently produces an estimated 2.3 million tonnes of waste daily. With an expanding population putting pressure on the current system, it is becoming harder to manage the growing waste volumes using linear waste management solutions for collection and disposal. The effects of an under-resourced waste management system have led to wider impacts on climate, including high levels of methane produced from the composting of waste disposed of at landfill sites, and emissions from waste incineration.
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With almost 80 signatories, Togo is the country with the most signatories to the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA). Over the past few years, CoM SSA has continued to deepen its support to these signatories by providing practical support to accelerate their Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) journeys.
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On 18 April 2023, the municipality of Kribi 1 in Cameroon officially launched its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP). The event that commemorated the completion and solemn handover of the SEACAP to the Kribi 1’s Executive Council featured different stakeholders of the city, representatives from sector ministries, local civil society and youth.
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At the beginning of 2021, during a major public ceremony, the Mauritanian Ministry of Rural Development granted the Region of Nouakchott a 10-hectare plot of land located on the outskirts of the capital, as well as a large batch of agriculture equipment intended for the development of agricultural land, the fruit of the cooperation efforts of the region with the State. The "Feeding and greening Nouakchott" project was born. Thus, one of the recommendations of the Action Plan for Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP), drawn up in 2020, has materialized: to develop urban and peri-urban agriculture in the city.
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CoM SSA participated in the Africa Infrastructure Futures Conference, organised by the African Centre for Cities (ACC) in Cape Town, South Africa. Since 2021, the partnership between CoM SSA and ACC, the South-African interdisciplinary hub at the University of Cape Town, has aimed to create a bridge between academia and local municipalities to address urban challenges and create a dialogue on sustainable and climate resilient urban infrastructures. It is in the context and vision of this collaboration that CoM SSA supported the 2022 edition of ACC’s annual Urban Conference. In light of the close collaboration with Mombasa County (Kenya), CoM SSA supported the participation of Mombasa staff to attend the Conference. The event brought together organisations and personalities from academia, the private sector, local government and civil society to discuss and share ideas on the main challenges faced by African cities in a context of rapid urbanisation, increased impacts of climate change, and a growing need for sustainable infrastructure.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa initiative (CoM SSA), a European Union action, went from strength to strength over the course of 2022, from the regional and national level to the global stage. 18 Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs) were launched, more than 230 climate and energy badges were awarded, a new leadership structure was set in motion, signatories were able to access tailored resources to accelerate their actions, pilot projects were implemented and the CoM SSA community of practice grew to more than 320 signatories.
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In October 2022, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) and the French Development Agency (AFD) - with additional funding from the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) - announced preparatory studies aimed at setting up a world-class public inland waterways transit system in Lagos State as part of the Waterways Investment and Development of the Environment in Lagos State project (WIDE-LAG).
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As part of the cooperation between FEICOM (Special Council Support Fund for Mutual Assistance) and CoM SSA, a training on municipal solar projects was organised in November 2022 in Douala with CoM SSA signatories across the country. Participants included Mayors and technical staff from the 14 City Councils in Cameroon along with FEICOM executives.
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On 17 and 18 February 2023, the mayors of Kloto officially signed their joint Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP), with the aim of making their cities "climate resilient, with a low carbon footprint, for a harmonious and sustainable development, and community prosperity". On this occasion, they presented the content of this strategic document to an audience of over 300 participants representing international, national and local technical and financial partners, as well as civil society and the populations of Kloto.
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The Municipalities of Praia and Ribeira Grande de Santiago voluntarily committed to becoming key actors in the fight against climate change with CoM SSA in 2020. The first step to turn their political commitment into tangible actions is to create a Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) that will guide all the actions that the municipalities need to undertake to make their territories more adapted, safe and resilient to the effects of climate change.
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The city of Bobo Dioulasso reached a milestone by launching its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP), a crucial document that will help the city navigate the climate hazards that it faces, prepare mitigation actions and provide its population with access to sustainable, reliable and affordable energy sources.
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Since joining the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), one of the Kasese municipality’s commitments has been to increase the management and mitigation of climate risks. Recently, the city took a step towards accomplishing this goal by completing the mapping of its urban forest areas and wetlands.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) Secretariat hosted a session at COP27 in the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities Constituency (LGMA) Multi-Level Action Pavilion which brought together local government leaders and finance experts to unpack the trade-offs that African city decision-makers face every day in the midst of the climate crisis.
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Following decades of calls for better inclusion of local government, COP27 made history in bringing greater importance to those considerations unique to local governments which is crucial as cities are first responders to the climate emergency.
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Monitoring air quality is key to developing solutions to mitigate air pollution, and meet public health, environmental, research and climate change goals for Kampala. The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Strategic Plan 2020-2025 sets out a clear objective to reduce and address disaster and climate risks through effectively addressing air pollution and air quality challenges. Although KCCA cannot yet effectively monitor and implement a city-wide air quality policy, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), the European Union and its implementing partner Expertise France (EF) are supporting the local authorities to measure air quality more effectively in the city.
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We, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa Regional Mayors Forum, representing the voices of over 320 cities in sub-Saharan Africa, with a total population exceeding 150 million people, and building off the Dakar Declaration, make the following statement here at COP27:
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On 27 October, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the County Government of Mombasa, building on the County becoming a Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) signatory earlier this year. The partnership lays the foundation for future activities to tackle climate change and provide access to sustainable energy.
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After a year of working with 73 signatory Togolese municipalities, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) closed off a support phase with a meeting where the municipalities highlighted their energy and climate projects. Owing to their proximity to the population and their knowledge of the territory, Togolese municipalities are key players in the fight against climate change and access to sustainable energy. Their efforts are translated into concrete actions in the localities and they thus participate in achieving climate and energy objectives of Togo.
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On 4 October 2022, at the Climate Chance Summit in Dakar, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) became the first initiative in sub-Saharan Africa to launch gender guides specific for local governments on climate action planning and project implementation.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) through its co-implementing partner the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), hosted over 300 participants from local and national government, civil society, and the private sector at the CoM SSA Day event held during the week for Sustainable Mobility and Climate #SMDC202 in Dakar, Senegal on 4 October. Over 1000 people from all over the world gathered in Dakar for the week-long conference jointly organised by CODATU Association, CETUD, and the Climate Chance Association. The conference's main theme was the adaptation to climate change through energy efficiency and ecosystem-based solutions, with a focus on coastal areas. CoM SSA Day was an opportune moment for CoM SSA signatories to reflect on the needs and challenges that local governments face and to also present different experiences and lessons learned by pioneering Sub-Saharan African cities.
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During the CoM SSA Day event held in Dakar, sub-Saharan African cities advocated for investing in being better-prepared and resilient to climate change effects through innovative adaptation measures that lie in nature. While solutions can be found by working with nature, these also need to be sustainable, safeguard ecosystems, and add value to communities.
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The CoM SSA Day event held in Dakar was the ideal place to exchange knowledge and experiences among the different actors of the climate community on cost-effective ways to address climate change while reducing energy waste, saving money, and affordably expanding the use of renewable energy resources. Some of the conclusions achieved at the event is that energy efficiency is critical to solving the climate crisis, and local governments are central to achieving the transition into resilient cities.
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At CoM SSA Day during the week for Sustainable Mobility and Climate, the Secretariat hosted a session focussed on climate finance for adaptation. At COP26 new records in resource mobilisation for adaptation funds were reached, and a two-year work programme on the global goal for adaptation was launched. Small-medium African cities, however, still continue to face major technical and institutional capacity constraints in accessing climate finance, particularly for adaptation. Organisations like CoM SSA are working to close that gap and unlock climate finance at the local level.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) through its co-implementing partner the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), hosted over 300 participants from local and national governments, civil society, and the private sector at the CoM SSA Day event held during the week for Sustainable Mobility and Climate #SMDC202 in Dakar, Senegal on 4 October.
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Gender equality is a significant objective of CoM SSA as tackling climate change and improving access to energy needs to be an inclusive process leading to inclusive outcomes while reducing gender inequalities. In accordance with international standards, the initiative has therefore committed itself to mainstreaming gender across all activities implemented and projects supported.
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Located in the Sahel – a region particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change – the cities of Ségou, Pelengana, Sakoiba and Sébougou have worked together in the past two years to draw up Mali’s first intercommunal Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP).
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This series of evidence-based reports, developed by the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa Technical Helpdesk and Secretariat, is intended to synthesise the best available evidence regarding common challenges faced by African local governments when planning for climate change and showcases potential solutions for addressing these challenges. The reports can be used by local governments and associated partners to innovate around climate action planning and implementation.
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At Africa Climate Week 2022, Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa hosted a session focused on harnessing renewable energy for the just energy transition in African cities. Leaders from African local governments, energy experts and other stakeholders discussed ambitions and needs to drive this transformative change.
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Local governments face several challenges when embarking on their climate action journeys but through support from the CoM SSA Technical Helpdesk, signatories to the initiative are able to move forward on a solid footing.
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Developing a Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) is a critical step on the journey to unlocking climate finance and accelerating climate action. However, recent data from the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) shows it will cost millions to implement climate action plans. Thus, cities need to become innovative to access all the finance they need to implement their projects.
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On 5 July 2022, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) launched its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan, which features tangible and impactful actions that will build resilience and enhance the lives of citizens. By 2030, AMAC intends to reduce its overall projected emissions by 25%, extend household access to electricity to 99.6% and increase access to clean cooking alternatives to 85%.
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Air pollution accounts for over seven million premature death annually, yet many African countries still lack reliable air quality data to make informed actions to reduce air pollution. As a result of the increasing greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and its concentration in urban areas, the deterioration of air quality is becoming a public health issue in many African cities. According to the State of Global Air, the annual deaths due to particles in the air, have been steadily increasing over the last 30 years in Uganda, reaching over 27 000 in 2019.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa is pleased to invite you to the Week for Sustainable Mobility and Climate which will take place in Dakar, Senegal, from the 3rd to 7th of October 2022.
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As part of the Africities 9 Summit the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa hosted a session focused on climate finance for green infrastructure. While global investment in addressing climate change reached a record high of USD 612 billion in 2017, channeling this climate finance to the subnational level is administratively and politically challenging for local governments in Africa is an ongoing challenge.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa participated in the Africities Summit 9 by hosting several sessions including a high level opening plenary to mobilise and expand the CoM SSA network and officially launch the Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAP) of two signatory cities. CoM SSA used the Summit as an opportunity to bring together the newly-elected CoM SSA Regional Mayors Forum for their inaugural meeting. Nine mayors representing the four regions of Sub-Saharan Africa took part in a closed session where the chairperson, Mayor of Kloto I (Togo) was elected.
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Leaders and technical experts from six local governments discussed their climate action plans during a CoM SSA session at Africities. These cities have already completed, or are near completing, robust Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans and are motivated to implement on-the-ground change.
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The Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) and its implementing partner Expertise France decided to highlight the cross-cutting issues of climate, energy and waste management in African cities during two technical sessions at the Africities Summit with representatives of CoM SSA signatories, climate experts, civil society, technical and financial partners and specialised lawyers were able to dialogue.
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The signatory city of Praia opens paths of collaboration for the materialisation of specific activities and actions related to climate and energy. Through CoM SSA and with the support of its co-implementing partner, the Spanish Cooperation (AECID), the Municipality of Praia reinforces its commitment to climate action by the signing an important cooperation protocol with the Portuguese Energy Agency.
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Members of the Steering Committee Meeting who provide support, guidance, and oversight of the progress of the CoM SSA programme reflected on its 2021 achievements, exchanged thoughts, and discussed topics to help teams implement their actions during the next years.
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A critical part of a city completing its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) is communicating its plans and actions to different audiences in order to raise awareness and gather support for action implementation
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Among the objectives of the climate plan, the city intends to strengthen its resilience to climate change in the most affected sectors such as agriculture, reduce its overall projected emissions by 25%, and extend household access to electricity to 90% by significantly increasing the production of renewable energy.
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Representatives from the 56 Togolese cities that are signatories of the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) met in Sokodé for a two-day training workshop organised by Expertise France, the implementing partner of the CoM SSA in Togo, with funding from the European Union.
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Cities need detailed information about their emissions and climate risks to plan for transformative climate action. In the case of Abuja (Nigeria), where data is like gold dust, obtaining this information can be a costly and daunting task, but household surveys can yield high-quality results and provide crucial insights into how emissions are generated and how climate change impacts communities on the ground.
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From 14th to 18th February 2022, Kampala and Kasese authorities officially kicked off their CoM SSA climate action activities with Expertise France
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The Praia City Council, CMP, is committed to transforming the municipality and contributing to local and global sustainability. CMP has taken an important step by joining CoM SSA and is currently developing its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) in partnership with the Ribeira Grande City Council.
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During a youth-focused session at Africa-Europe Week, African mayors and youth-led civil society organisations (CSOs) engaged in a candid conversation about how they can join forces to take action against the climate crisis.
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Representatives from the municipalities of Nouakchott (Mauritania), Praia and Ribera Grande de Santiago (Cabo Verde) as well as Dakar and Pikine (Senegal) travelled to Tenerife to exchange knowledge and experiences in the fight against climate change and shift towards sustainable energy.
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“This plan will not merely be shelved. It will be used as daily guidance for the grassroots actions needed to achieve Nakuru County’s climate change and sustainable energy vision”, said Erick Korir, Deputy Governor at the launch event on 15-16 February 2022.
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The first step to reduce future urban greenhouse emissions is to understand what cities are currently emitting and where these emissions are coming from. But how can this be done in cities where data are limited? The proxy data tool developed as part of CoM SSA might be just what cities need.
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We are pleased to invite you to join a virtual session at Africa-Europe Week on 17 February 2022 at 3.00 pm CET. The event will be streamed in English and French. This session will focus on how cities, local organisations and youth can team up to fight climate change. Register here to join virtually.
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The Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) is pleased to invite you to the Africities Summit which will take place in Kisumu, Kenya, from 17 to 21 May 2022.
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Through the installation of solar panels, the local government of Ribeira Grande de Santiago will be able to produce its own 100% sustainable energy in its headquarters and at the city's heritage sites.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) programme, in Mozambique, co-financed by the European Union and the Spanish Cooperation, is supporting the municipality of Maputo in a pilot project for the reforestation and conservation of mangroves in an area prone to storms and flooding.
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County Government of Kisumu (CGK), supported by the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) through its implementing partner Expertise France in the development of its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP), is transitioning from planning to action. CoM SSA is a programme co-funded by the European Union that supports CGK and other signatories in the region to take tangible climate actions, both in planning and in implementing projects.
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In the run-up to COP26 the common belief was that this COP would only succeed if Africa was at the heart of the negotiations. In order to put the spotlight on African voices at COP26, CoM SSA hosted one of the few sessions where African mayors could have their say. However, as we reflect on this much-anticipated event, it is apparent that Africa was not only under-represented at COP26 but that the continent’s priorities are not fully represented in the final agreement, called the Glasgow Climate Pact.
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Less than ten months after joining the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in Nigeria achieved another milestone by identifying the climate hazards with the biggest impact on the city and its people during an interactive workshop
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To discuss the CoM SSA initiative’s successes and challenges, a one-hour online panel discussion was organised on 27 October in the framework of GIZ’s Urban October event. The session brought together a range of speakers to discuss how they have benefited or supported horizontal and vertical dialogues among cities in Africa.
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In Cabo Verde the Spanish Cooperation is supporting Ribeira Grande de Santiago and Praia municipalities in their journey as signatory cities of the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), a programme co-financed by the European Union. Since 2019, CoM SSA focuses on attracting climate-related funding at the local level to move from planning to action.
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Glasgow, Scotland (9 November 2021): Today, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) was awarded the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity during a ceremony held at the COP26 conference along with 1M Euro to finance projects in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Maputo celebrated the Sustainable Mobility Week in which Maputo, Matola, and Boane, three CoM SSA signatory cities that make up the metropolitan area of the Mozambican capital, participated.
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ICLEI Africa seeks to appoint a bilingual (English and Portuguese) consultant to support the work of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) Secretariat and Technical Helpdesk.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan African would like to invite you to join our hybrid session at COP26 on 4 November 2021 in the Multi-Level Action Pavilion. The event will be streamed in English, French and Portuguese. This session will provide an opportunity for African Mayors to engage in discussion with high-level climate representatives from the United Nations, the European Commission, and other key stakeholders around the expected outcomes of the negotiations at COP26 and the implications for local governments.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa, a European Union action, recently hosted CoM SSA Day at the Climate Chance Summit Africa 2021. The event focused on topics related to climate action plans and unlocking climate finance for sustainable infrastructure, climate change adaptation, energy access and Nature-based Solutions.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa seeks to appoint a climate finance expert/team of experts to support us in providing early stage project identification and development support for urban climate change and energy access projects across Sub-Saharan Africa.
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ICLEI Africa seeks to appoint a climate change mitigation and energy access service provider to support the work of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) Secretariat and Technical Helpdesk.
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In the framework of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa, AFD is opening a call for proposals to recruit a service provider, bilingual English and French, to carry out a Training and coaching for access to climate finance of cities supported by Expertise France.
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CoM SSA signatories exchanged on how they are using the development process of their Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs) to not only address issues of climate change and lack of access to sustainable energy, but also to inform the public about them.
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“So far, most climate change initiatives have been top-down. However, this county is looking at a bottom-up approach; the pyramid is inverted to put the people who are suffering from the effects of climate change at the center.” - Mr. Kiogora Murithi of the County Government of Nakuru
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The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is in the process of identifying the sectors and communities which are most impacted by, or are the biggest contributors to, climate change impacts in the city.
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Faced with the adverse impacts of climate change, including increasing temperatures and irregular rainfall, the City of Garoua in Cameroon is committed to taking climate action, with support from the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA). The city is in the process of completing its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP), having finalised its baseline reports.
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The world is waiting with bated breath to hear from world leaders on their climate action progress since the Paris Agreement, but where does Africa fit in?
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CoM SSA signatories are now able to access additional services to move forward in their climate action journey.
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From 26th to 31st July 2021, Kisumu County officials from the Department of Energy & Industrialisation attended a certified Energy Manager training, supported by Expertise France through the European Union funded the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa would like to invite you to join this year’s CoM SSA Day at Climate Chance on 15 September. The virtual event will be streamed in English, French and Portuguese. The event will include a high-level institutional opening followed by two deep technical sessions that will focus on, first, the climate action journeys of some of our signatories and, second, on adaptation and nature-based solutions.
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On 2 July 2021, the District of Bamako officially launched the development of its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan in the presence of the Malian Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation who is the national focal point for climate change at the Ministry of the Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development. This follows the completion of territorial baseline studies, which are the basis for defining the city's strategic energy and climate priorities.
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The County Government of Kisumu in Kenya is prioritising climate action and has completed its Baseline Emissions Inventory and Access to Energy Assessment. Stakeholders in the territory provided primary data for these studies which will support Kisumu in planning climate actions to reach desired objectives in reducing emissions and increasing access to energy.
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The cities of Praia and Ribeira Grande de Santiago, AECID’s local partners in the country, are opening a call for proposals for the preparation of a joint Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP).
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CoM SSA signatories and industry experts exchange lessons and experiences while building relationships to strengthen and encourage innovation in the waste sector.
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As the demand for energy rises due to rapid population growth and urbanisation, cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly recognising the opportunities of renewable energy use. While national governments often have the mandate to govern energy infrastructure, local governments hold a unique position to positively influence energy use towards climate-friendly systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Join CoM SSA for a city knowledge exchange on waste management on 29 July at 14h00 CAT. Participants will be able to learn, discuss and share experiences of waste management challenges and innovations in Africa. The session will be available in French and English.
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Terms of Reference for a professional photographer/videographer to take high-quality photo and video footage for four CoM SSA signatory local governments. Bids due: 25 August 2021.
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The webinar was a first attempt to discuss the importance of mainstreaming social and gender issues within the development of Street Lighting projects. CoM SSA partner, AFD took this opportunity to launch a Gender Sensitive Public Lighting User Guide developed to help municipalities to develop SL projects that integrate gender at different stage of project development.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa seeks to appoint a professional service provider/ s to translate climate and sustainable energy access related communications from: English (United Kingdom) to Portuguese (Portugal) and Portuguese (Portugal) to English (United Kingdom) and/or English (United Kingdom) to French (France) and French (France) to English (United Kingdom)
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Facing the current climate issues and the health crisis, local governments become the first partners of the State in the implementation of their sustainable development policy and their transition to low-carbon economies. West African local governments met from 9 to 11 June 2021 at the Lomé Regional Forum on Resilience and Climate Ambition to examine the conditions of access to climate finance.
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Dakar and Pikine are moving forward in the fight against climate change, having completed their respective climate plans. These cities have identified actions, designed to provide climate and energy-related solutions, and ultimately solve the problems of the territory and its population.
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Being severely affected by the effects of climate change, the city of Pikine, with the support of CoM SSA, has identified the vulnerabilities of its territory and elaborated an action plan against climate change.
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Join CoM SSA for a deep-dive on “Gender mainstreaming in the development of public lighting projects in sub-Saharan African cities” webinar on 24 June at 13h00 CAT (13h00 CET) for English speakers, and on 24 June at 15h00 CAT (15h00 CET) for French speakers.
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CoM SSA implementing partner Expertise France is pleased to invite you to a workshop to launch the national support process for CoM SSA signatory cities in Togo. This launch will take place alongside the Regional Forum on Resilience and climate ambition of West-African local governments, organised by CoM SSA. In hybrid form, the forum will be held in Lomé (Togo) from 10 to 11 June 2021 and online. The forum is titled, "Strengthening the resilience and increasing the climate ambition of local authorities in Africa”.
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In order to prioritise gender relevant climate actions, gender needs to be entrenched from early on in the planning process. Understanding the context and unique challenges women face is critical to plan for, develop and implement gender sensitive climate actions.
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The Proxy Data Tool allows local governments to develop a Greenhouse Gas inventory in just a few hours and without the extensive data collection exercise, capacity and resources usually required. It will help bridge the data gap evident across Sub-Saharan Africa.
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The signing of the Nakuru County Climate Change Act, 2020 establishes the County Climate Change Fund, a pioneering financial mechanism that makes addressing climate change a legal requirement.
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Having just recently become a CoM SSA signatory, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in Nigeria has already started putting together a strategy to create a robust action plan that will address climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as sustainable energy access.
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A training dedicated to strengthening the capacities of local actors in Yaoundé with a particular focus on renewable energies was organised by CoM SSA. Affordable solar solutions, stages of implementing public lighting systems, profitability, challenges, and monitoring mechanisms were discussed in an impactful three-day session.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa is excited to invite you to the RISE Africa Action Festival 2021.
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Under the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative, GIZ and ICLEI Africa are seeking a consultant to facilitate a stakeholder engagement and capacity building workshop in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria.
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ICLEI Africa is working with GIZ to support Nakuru County, Kenya, under the Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative to develop their Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP).
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The Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative is seeking a consultant to assist ICLEI Africa and GIZ with a number of workshops required to support Abuja Municipal Council Area (AMAC), Abuja, Nigeria with developing the content for a Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP).
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Synergies created between CoM SSA and the FEICOM in the fight against climate change, aim to support Cameroonian municipalities towards more ambitious and effective climate actions and access to funding.
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Cities worldwide need to take action to fight against and adapt to climate change, and African cities are no exception. But municipalities often face the challenge: how can such projects be financed to make them happen?
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Nakuru County in Kenya has conducted the first Risk and Vulnerability Assessment workshop as part of developing its Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan. This SEACAP will feed into the five-year County Integrated Development Plan that guide Kenyan counties’ development activities.
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Join CoM SSA’s next webinar on 25 March at 14h00 CAT, for a deep-dive on the state of renewable energy in African cities. The webinar brings together city and renewable energy experts to share their perspectives on the current status, challenges and discuss how local governments in the region are heeding the call to act on renewable energy.
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Join CoM SSA’s next webinar on 25 March at 14h00 CAT, for a deep-dive on the state of renewable energy in African cities. The webinar brings together city and renewable energy experts to share their perspectives on the current status, challenges and discuss how local governments in the region are heeding the call to act on renewable energy.
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Local authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa are prioritising climate action and identifying potential sources of funding for their local climate and energy projects with the support of CoM SSA.
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Common challenges have brought four municipalities in the Segou region together to join the CoM SSA initiative. The four mayors, the first in Mali to decide to meet the challenges of climate change and access to sustainable energy together, joined their voices to talk about their objectives and the reasons why they decided to join the initiative.
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New report: “Lessons on Recent Solid Waste Management Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa”, highlights four approaches to waste management in SSA local governments, from a small-scale community recycling solutions to multi-million-dollar regional waste programmes, across the continent from Sierra Leone to Kenya.
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The Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) aims at supporting CoM SSA signatory cities and local governments in their climate and energy efforts by presenting the technical framework for the three pillars of the initiative.
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CoM SSA signatories recently met online to share their successes and challenges in collecting data for their SEACAPs. Traditional knowledge and engagement with national government were highlighted as key considerations to compiling useful, robust data sets.
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Robust project preparation and planning is key in order for cities to access the financing needed to implement climate change and energy projects on the ground. This is what the experts have to say.
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Many African cities have plans for public lighting projects but often struggle to get these financed. A practical training session provided the chance to learn from experts, financiers and cities with successful public lighting projects.
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Two key resources will help cities access climate finance by providing information about different financing concepts and projects and sharing success stories from cities.
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“Bouncing back, stronger, healthier, greener, and more equitable than before” this was one of the key messages of the Paris Peace Forum, which took place on 11-13 November 2020.
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The session will deep-dive into public lighting projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular projects covering the expansion and energy efficiency of public lighting systems.
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To find finance for projects in the area of climate change and renewable energy, cities need to be aware of how potential financiers analyse projects.
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Based on the study by GIZ CoM SSA, “Finance Roadmaps for Climate Projects – How can local governments in SSA facilitate access to finance”, the aim of the session is to inform the public about the challenges in financing climate projects, and to outline the approaches and support provided by CoM SSA partners.
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This opening session of the CoM SSA Day at the Local Climate Solutions for Africa congress 2020 serves to reflect on the importance of CoM SSA as a catalyst for climate and energy action in Sub-Saharan Africa by providing some context on the initiative.
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Air pollution is a big challenge in many cities in the Sub-Saharan Africa region including Kampala, Uganda’s capital. The French Agency for International Technical Cooperation (Expertise France) and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) collaborate on updating Kampala’s Climate Action Plan to support the local government in improving air quality for residents.
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The CoM SSA SEACAP Toolbox compliments the existing SEACAP Guidebook and provides an easy-to-use, step-by-step series of presentations for each of the three pillars of a SEACAP, namely Energy Access, Climate Mitigation, and Climate Adaptation.
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City Hall agents recently took to the streets of Bobo-Dioulasso to collect energy data from households and other stakeholders. Together with information from participatory workshops with city representatives, this data will enable Bobo-Dioulasso to mobilise in the fight against climate change.
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Through working with CoM SSA and local partners, Garoua is taking its first steps towards tackling climate change and energy access challenges by understanding the specific impacts climate change is already having on the city and its residents.
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As part of the Paris Peace Forum held from November 11th to 13th, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) will present the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA).
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) is pleased to invite you to the Local Climate Solutions for Africa (LoCS4Africa) virtual congress on the theme “Financing for Change” from 3-12 November 2020.
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Under the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative, Expertise France launched a Request for Proposals to select candidates interested in conducting a Climate Change Baseline Emissions Inventory and Access to Energy Assessment for the county of Kisumu in Kenya.
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Local governments in Sub-Saharan Africa are faced with the daunting challenge of managing the highest urban growth rate in the world, while simultaneously confronting the devastating impacts of climate change cutting across local communities and the economy.
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The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre validated Yaoundé IV’s SEACAP in September 2020. Yaoundé IV is the first Sub-Saharan African city and the first CoM SSA signatory to achieve this milestone, in the journey towards a climate resilient and sustainable future.
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The city of Dakar presented its experience during a webinar organised by the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) in cooperation with Climate Chance on “Action led by local actors to pursue the necessary energy transition in the current pandemic context in Africa”.
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CoM SSA is working with a local partner in Cameroon, contributing to turn political commitments to fight against climate change into concrete action.
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As countries rebuild economies from the impact of the pandemic, they are faced with a unique opportunity to ‘Recover Better’ with Sustainable Energy.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative, co-funded the European Union, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, continues to strengthen networking and the exchange of expertise and experience on climate change through an insightful series of webinars.
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Nakuru County, in cooperation with CoM SSA, is moving forward in its response to climate change by mainstreaming it in local sectors to address cross-cutting aspects of climate change mitigation, adaptation, and energy access.
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Emergent needs and vulnerabilities, cross-cutting themes and the complexities surrounding decision-making argue for new kinds of communication techniques and new models for engagement.
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A resilient society depends on climate action and gender equality.
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Despite the COVID-19 crisis, CoMSSA partners pursue their efforts towards sustainable urban planning through appropriate capacity building.
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How do we move from theory to action?
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Within the Covenant of Mayors of Sub-Saharan Africa framework, the city councils of Maputo, Boane, and Matola are working together with the Metropolitan Transport Agency for developing a sustainable transport system.
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African cities are some of the most vulnerable to climate change in the world, and for them to become more resilient, significant funding is required to enable climate change adaptation.
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City leaders and key experts discuss what barriers African countries and cities face in accessing finance for climate change adaptation, and some of the innovative adaptation finance mechanisms that have been used.
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Friday, 19 June 2020, the validation workshop of the Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) was held in the proceedings room of the town hall of Doumé, municipality of the East region of Cameroon.
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CoM SSA signatories and experts share their lessons learnt in their journey towards building a sustainable city, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic
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The District of Bamako shows its continuous commitment against climate change by holding its first hybrid SEACAP steering committee, followed by video-conference for some, and in-person for others, all respecting sanitary measures imposed by the COVID19 crisis.
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Gender mainstreaming in the development of urban street lighting projects
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The city of Tsévié in Togo is one of the pilot cities that has joined the Covenant of Mayor for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative since its first year of implementation back in 2017.
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This was the common message from the speakers at the launch event of our webinar “Lessons from past and present crises”, that featured mayors and city experts from Uganda, Liberia and Senegal and attracted more than 100 attendees from all corners of the continent and beyond.
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Building sustainable African cities during a global health pandemic will feature a new webinar every two weeks and everyone is invited to attend.
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In only a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll, personally and professionally, on populations across the world. In Africa, we are in many ways just beginning our COVID-19 journeys, and grappling with understanding the implications for our communities. Never has it been more important for local and regional governments to be empowered to build resilience in their cities.
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The unprecedented pace at which the global COVID-19 situation is changing is directly impacting cities and local governments. Cities are and will be decisive in guaranteeing the population’s well-being during and after this pandemic, which presents unique challenges to their leaders.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the world, the CoM SSA initiative and its partners send you this letter to offer our solidarity during these trying times.
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The forum of local authorities: “Territorialization as a lever to accelerate the implementation of ndcs in Africa: the contribution of associations of african local authorities for the mobilization of african cities in favor of climate action.”
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The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) participated on February 13th in the “National Workshop for Sharing Experiences on the Development of Action Plans to Combat Climate Change,” organized by Enda Energie. Eleven Senegalese signatory cities of the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) participated in this event, as well as representatives of the national government, development partners, and civil society organizations.
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Kenya, well known for its amazing landscapes, diverse wildlife attractions, and long-term peace and tranquillity, now faces an invisible “enemy” christened climate change. Temperatures are expected to rise by 2.5ºC between 2000 and 2050 and rainfall patterns will become less predictable with long dry spells and extreme weather events. All these expose the country to increased cost of living and resource-related conflicts, among other challenges.
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Mr. Bourahima Sanou, 48, Mayor of Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, is a lover of nature. A lawyer and administrator of local authorities by training, he decided to dedicate his energy to political life when he was elected mayor in June 2016.
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From February 27-28, 2020, more than 500 participants gathered at the Ivoire hotel in Abidjan to discuss the theme of sustainable cities in Africa. These meetings were organized as a prelude to the Summit on Sustainable Cities to be held in Bordeaux (France) in June 2020. It was an opportunity for the partners of the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) to organize a meeting between several French-speaking signatory cities and to meet certain key actors of the Africa-France Summit.
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Under the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), local authorities are invited to make a voluntarily political commitment to implement climate and energy actions in their communities and agree on a long-term vision to tackle 3 pillars, namely access to energy, climate mitigation and climate adaptation. In order to translate the political commitment into practical measures, CoM SSA signatories commit to produce and implement a Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP).
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Started 4 years ago, the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) is a network, now strong of more than 210 cities, where cities commit to climate action in general, and more specifically to adopt and implement a climate action plan.
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Forum of Municipal Elected Officials and Presidents of Local Governments Associations Associations of Local Governments, Cities and Territories, key players in the implementation of the International Climate Agenda Cotonou, Benin, February 27-28, 2020
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The Municipality of Tsévié conducted the political validation of its Action Plan for Access to Sustainable Energy and Climate at the end of 2019, renamed SEACAP-Zio1 after the local elections of last June 30.
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In December 2019, ICLEI Africa and GIZ began a week-long mission to Burkina Faso as part of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM-SSA), an initiative supported financially by the European Union, the Spanish cooperation agency and Germany, for the technical launch of the Action Plan for Access to Energy and Climate (SEACAP) for the city of Bobo Dioulasso.
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On 13 December 2019, the District of Bamako, together with Expertise France and the Regional Development Agency of Bamako, announced to its technical divisions, as well as key representatives from the national government, academia and civil society, its decision to develop a Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP), within the framework of CoMSSA III.
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Since January 2017, the Municipality of Bouaké has made a commitment to draft an action plan in favor of access to energy and climate within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA). After three years of the mobilization of civil society, supported by the mayor of the commune, Bouaké is amongst the first African cities to validate its SEACAP from the political standpoint.
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According to the Director of Enda Energie, expertise exists in Africa and need to be better organised to help local authorities develop bankable projects.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub–Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), an initiative funded by the European Union (EU) and led by CEMR, with its partner Climate Alliance, facilitated a city-to-city partnership between the cities of Kampala in Uganda and the city of Karlsruhe in Germany.
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More than 2,000 representatives of African cities, local and regional governments, and non-state actors gathered in Accra at the 2nd African Climate Chance Summit, featuring the Conference of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), which was organised between 16 and 18 October 2019.
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We, representatives of the African local and regional governments and non-state actors gathered in ACCRA at the 2nd African Climate Chance Summit, organized from 16 to 18 October 2019 under the Distinguished Patronage of His Excellency NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic of Ghana
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In Cameroon, climate change is impacting every aspect of human lives and its population is becoming more conscious and aware of its effects. Nevertheless, it is not easy to identify the link between the visible and dramatic effects of a changing climate and the solutions that can be implemented to address them.
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Kenya, already known for its climate leadership in East Africa, is making strides to fight climate change at the subnational level by empowering its counties to act on climate initiatives. As part of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative (financed by the European Commission, BMZ and AECID), GIZ and ICLEI Africa explored some of these initiatives with the counties and engaged with national stakeholders to enable scaling of innovative climate solutions.
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One of the key successes of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa initiative is that it created a platform for cities from all over the continent to share their knowledge on local climate action planning and action in Africa.
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Join the CoM SSA Conference on 16 October 2019 at the Climate Chance Summit – Africa, in Accra, Ghana. The theme of the conference is: “Towards the institutionalization of Local Climate action and access to finance”.
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Energy is the life blood of cities fuelling economic activities, so shaping a prosperous future for Africa will require adequate and sustainable energy, recognised by Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7)
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In Burkina Faso, the local people are generally not familiar with the concept of climate change. But in a sense they’re more aware of its impact than elsewhere in the world. Here, people use the expression ‘times are changing’, to refer to the changing weather conditions, the increased unpredictability of precipitation and the intensity of droughts and rainfalls. They have first-hand knowledge of climate change and the need to take climate action regardless of its presence in their vocabulary.
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Two major publications on climate finance for African cities, developed under the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa initiative, will be officially launched at the Climate Chance Summit, which will take place from the 16th to the 18th of October 2019 in Accra, Ghana. This conference will bring together local governments from all over the continent as well as development banks and financiers. It promises to be a hive of activity and the occasion to collate the experience of CoM SSA cities with the expectations of funders and financiers.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative continues to support Sub-Saharan African cities and municipalities in their climate and energy efforts, contributing for the strengthening of their technical capacity.
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Civil society actors (namely civil society organizations) met for the second time at the initiative of the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa – CoM SSA in Dakar from July 16 to July 18. This meeting is a continuation of the Lomé meeting that took place from June 25 to June 26 and aimed at strengthening the capacities of these actors to support the signatory cities of the CoM SSA to develop their respective Climate and Energy plans.
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CoM SSA signatory city of Bouaké, Ivory Coast
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Hear about how CoM SSA's local climate action from our signatories and experts
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CoM SSA signatory city of Tsévié, Togo
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Vanessa Vovor – Conference of Covenant Mayors 16 October, 2019 Accra, Ghana.
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Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Secretary General: Frederic Vallier
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From urban reforestation in Dakar (Senegal) to waste-to-energy conversion in Kasese (Uganda), our debate at #EDD19 (the European Development Days), introduced by Etienne Coyette from the European Commission’s DG DEVCO, was full of fascinating discussions on how African local governments are overcoming inequalities in their cities through climate action.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), an initiative funded by the European Union (EU) and led by CEMR, organised a training workshop on ‘’Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Plans for Urban Development in Sub-Saharan Africa” in Kenya, gathering 43 civil servants from 37 cities which are Com SSA signatories from more than 20 different African countries.
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Waste management and disposal is a major obstacle to African cities. An underdeveloped waste disposal system in Africa is one of the main causes of ill health, social and economic problems.
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We, as representatives of the civil society actors of pilot cities and signatories of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa, gathered on the occasion of the Capacity Building Workshop of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Climate and Energy, held in Lomé (Togo) from 25 to 27 March 2019 with the objective to involve CSOs more in the development and implementation of Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs) as well as in the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative.
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Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa Office, together with the Secretariat of Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) and the CES-Med project, is co-organising a focus session on Africa’s challenges in tackling climate and energy at a local level.
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In Ivory Coast’s second city, Bouaké, urban tree cover is declining and climate change is drying up water resources, reducing food security and fueling heavy floods. Trees help fight climate change and reduce the effect of erosion. And so, planting a tree is saving more than just a source of water for the local population in Bouaké.
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At first glance, climate change and inequality might seem like two separate issues. And yet, when you look at how certain urban areas are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, the link with inequality becomes obvious.
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Sub-Saharan Africa is among the regions hardest hit by climate change in the world. This stark reality means millions of Africans suffer deadly and devastating floods, droughts and food insecurity. The fight to preserve the climate is therefore a crucial issue for the African continent and requires that everyone contributes in the fight against climate change.
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Limited and unreliable access to renewable energy is a major impediment to development efforts at local level in Africa. In order to address or adapt to this energy problem and develop lasting solutions to climate change, local governments must step up action.
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Several thousands of people do not have access to clean energy in Togo. Unreliable energy supplies impose a direct cost on the country’s economy in terms of lost productive output, and can limit economic, educational and social activities.
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The first-ever conference for exchange and cooperation between national and local governments in Africa to address climate issues and support a decentralised territorial approach of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) took place in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire in 2019
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Although Africa currently enjoys unprecedented economic development and strong demographic and urban growth, the continent is under significant threat from climate change. Limited and unreliable energy access is also a major impediment to economic growth. In order to adapt to these future climate and energy challenges, African local governments have a crucial role to play.
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What role should civil society play in the development and implementation of sustainable climate and energy action plans by African cities and municipalities? We’re now engaging with civil society organisations to find a concrete answer to this question.
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CoM SSA have been working hard with partners over the last three years. This MAP shows who many cities are signatories’ which now counts more than 200 cities at the closure of Phase II in November 2019.
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The extreme changes in weather conditions are worsening the occurrence and impact of natural disasters in Africa. Climate change is slowing down Africa’s efforts to meet the sustainable development goals required to address global challenges such as poverty, inequality and environmental degradation among others.
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Africa has a huge potential to accelerate local climate action. That’s why two implementers of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) have signed a new strategic agreement, which will also strengthen stakeholders’ engagement in the energy sector in Africa.
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The Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority, Hon. Erias Lukwago has said he is happy with the support received from the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa since Kampala joined the initiative in 2015 – leading to the development of a Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan for the city.
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Covenant of Mayors implementers have renewed commitment to support Sub-Saharan Africa cities and municipalities in their climate and energy efforts. During the third Implementation Committee meeting of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative that ended in Kampala, Uganda, on 27 February, partners counted the project’s achievements in 2018 and agreed to build on the gains to get more impact in 2019.
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In Bonaberi, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Cameroon’s economic capital, Douala, Elodie is relieved to find a temporary home for her family. Elodie, a resident of Manoka was displaced alongside her children and hundreds of people by flooding in this island off the coast of Douala. Manoka is becoming increasingly vulnerable to heavy flooding and villagers, who have been displaced many times, fear their community could be swallowed by the waters, but cannot do much to protect their homes.
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Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Mayor of Accra, Ghana, has called on African Mayors and city leaders to join the network of African cities to empower their cities and overcome climate change. Climate change is the overarching source of many serious problems faced by African cities, making Africa one of the most vulnerable continents to the change in global climate patterns.
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The initiative fair organized by the Groupement Intercommunal des Collines (GIC) in Benin
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The 24th edition of the Conference of State Parties to the UNFCCC (COP24), the largest gathering of climate and energy actors, took place from 3 to 16 December 2018 in Katowice, Poland. The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) held 2 side-events.
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The concept of the Talanoa Dialogue was introduced into international negotiations during the 23rd United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 23), held in 2017, and represented the first time in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process that national governments met with non-Party stakeholders in an official setting. Local and regional governments were invited to start Talanoa Dialogues in their cities, regions and countries in 2018 during The Cities and Regions Talanoa Dialogues held by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in February 2018.
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United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Africa’s flagship conference, Africities, took place from the 20th to the 24th of November 2018, in Marrakesh, Morocco. The event brought together more than 8000 participants from around the world with a “focus on the need for Local Africa to learn, promote and present a new approach to sustainable development” (UCLGA website).
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With more than 8,000 participants, the Africities Summit 2018 held in Marrakech, Morocco from 20-24 November was the rendez-vous for local authorities of the African continent. The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative was represented at this UCLG Africa event through the presence of its partners, Advisory Board members but above all its signatories. With more than 130 signatories in 34 Sub-Saharan countries to the date, the initiative forms a network of local authorities committed to fight climate change and improve access to sustainable energy on their territories.
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The Groupement Intercommuncal des communes (GIC) is an intercommunal association composed of the municipalities of Savè, Bantè, Dassa, Savalou, Glazoué and Ouessè in Benin, West Africa. Similar to many other semi-rural areas, they are already suffering from the impacts of climate change; desertification and water scarcity hinder agricultural activities in the region. Moreover, like other intermediary cities, they also struggle to attract climate finance to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
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Bissau is the capital and largest city of Guinea-Bissau on the western coast of Africa. Located on the Geba River estuary, Bissau covers 77,5 km2 and has about 430,000 habitants. In June 2018, the city of Bissau confirmed the voluntary commitment to implement the CoM SSA objectives on its territory.
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The Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, held from 12 to 14 September 2018, was focused on bringing new ambitions to the next level in five key areas: healthy energy systems, inclusive economic growth, local communities, the protection of land and oceans and transformative climate investments.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), an initiative funded by the European Union (EU) and led by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), organised a course on “Climate Response and Sustainable Urban Development in Africa” in Saly, Senegal, gathering about 40 civil servants from 18 cities and municipal associations which are signatories of the Covenant of Mayors for Sub Saharan Africa.
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In August 2018, CoM SSA team comprising staff from CEMR, ENDA and ICLEI Africa travelled to Monrovia and Paynesville, Liberia, to conduct an inception visit. Organized by the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), the inception visit took place on the 30th and 31st of August 2018.
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In the framework of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) initiative, technical support is provided to cities to facilitate the development of their ‘Action Plans for Access to Energy and Climate’ (PAAEDC). The data collection process is an important step in the development of PAAEDC. The data to be collected by the cities should be related to the three pillars of the CoM SSA (Access to Energy, Adaptation and Mitigation) particularly during; i) inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in the study area, ii) analysis of risks and vulnerabilities related to climate change and iii) evaluation of access to energy.
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Mayors of mid to small sized communities in Mauritius, with their local government associations, participated in the ICLEI World Congress in June 2018 to explore latest trends on sustainable development.There is a considerable interest in understanding and tackling climate change, among others, specifically on the role of local governments and engaging their communities. The climate resilience perspective is an entry point, but also with recognition that low emission development needs to be connected as well.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa took an active part in the Climate Chance Africa Summit held in Abidjan from 27 to 29 June 2018.
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CoM SSA pilot cities and funding partners sharing progress during the Climate Chance Summit in Abidjan – 28 -29 june 2018.
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The CoM SSA technical team share lessons learnt while working with the pilot cities.
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Interview of the Mayor of Pikine Abdoulaye Timbo, in an interview with the National Ivorian Television (RTI) focused on the role of local authorities role in the implementation of climate policies and programs.
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Mr Felice Zacchero Head of Unit at DG DEVCO announces an upcoming appointment of ambassadors who will play a key role in the European Union's support to African cities
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M. Felice Zacchero gives his feedback on the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa participation to the Climate Chance Africa Summit which was an opportunity to promote the initiative. He also announced future opportunities with the project extension.
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Mr Abdoulaye Timbo, the Mayor of Pikine interview at Climat Chance 2018.
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Deputy Lord Mayor of Kampala city, pilot city of CoM SSA, the Climate Chance Africa was a real opportunity of experiences sharing between non-government actors.
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On behalf of the Climate Chance Africa Summit , the CoM SSA initiative organised a session on climate finance for cities where many experts presented existing opportunities to support cities.
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Juliet Mekone resuming the session on climate finance for cities during Climate chance Africa summit in Abidjan, 27 Juin 2018
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Non-state actors such as cities, local authorities, NGOs and the private sector play a fundamental role in the fight against climate change, not least as drivers of concrete actions on the ground. However, finance can be an issue. In this context, key players convened on 28-29 in Abidjan to discuss how to increase access to climate finance for non-state actors.
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Non-state actors such as cities, local authorities, NGOs and the private sector play a fundamental role in the fight against climate change, not least as drivers of concrete actions on the ground. However, finance can be an issue. In this context, key players convened on 28-29 in Abidjan to discuss how to increase access to climate finance for non-state actors.
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The course is organized by the Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa (CoM Africa) Initiative, which supports African cities with capacity building and the development of Sustainable Energy Access Climate Action Planning and implementation.
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Cities and Local Governments of Africa organized its 4th Strategic Meeting for the West African Region from 28 to 29 May 2018 in Accra, Ghana. This meeting follows those held beforehand for the eastern, southern and central regions.
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The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) welcomes you at the Climate Chance Africa Summit, on 28-29 June 2018 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
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The Covenant of Mayors Office for Sub-Saharan Africa has held a session to explore synergy creation on 14th March 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa prior to the Implementation Committee Meeting.
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Local and regional governments are invited to start Talanoa Dialogues in their cities, regions and countries in 2018.
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King Philippe of the Belgians, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action Michael R. Bloomberg and other international guests gather to celebrate the establishment of Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy’s Global Secretariat in Brussels, supporting cities around the globe in the fight against climate change
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On 25 January 2018, a milestone was reached when Beninese Comè became the 100th signatory city of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA), the EU funded initiative launched at COP21 to support cities in sub-Saharan Africa to address climate change and promote clean energy. It was in this context the CoM SSA Advisory Board met in Addis Abeba on 1 March 2018 to discuss The progress of the initiative, implementation challenges faced, future opportunities and political representation
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The Mayors who signed the Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa call on other cities to join them.
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Mayors officially joined the CoM SSA initiative by signing their political commitement documents at the 1st summit of local elected representatives of Africa and Europe held in Abidjan on November 27, 2017.
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On 27 November 2017, 15 mayors of Sub-Saharan Africa signed the Political Commitment Document of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa in Abidjan in the presence of Mr Sidiki DIAKITE, Ivorian Minister of the Interior and Security.
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A reality check session on vertical integration – exploring cooperation and coordination on climate action between all levels of government – @COP23, hosted by the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa to explore how to connect local action to National Determined Contributions (NDCs).
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Save The Date!
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On the initiative of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Council of the municipalities of Zou.
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Presenting the CoM SSA initiative at the Agadir Climate Chance Summit in 2017.
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Today, Sub-Saharan African cities appealed to their peers to join the voluntary initiative Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa as a framework for developing and implementing effective local climate and energy actions.
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The Covenant of Mayors for Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) First Signatories will be invited to meet at the EU-Africa Local and Regional Governments Forum in Abidjan on 27th November, 2017 for an official ceremony.
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Started in 2015, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) is a major catalyst for local climate action in the region, with political commitment from over 300 local governments. The purpose of CoM SSA is to support local governments in moving from planning to implementation, with a focus on unlocking climate finance at the local level.
The CoM SSA initiative is a European Union (EU) action that supports the external dimension of the European Green Deal, as the global challenges of climate change and environmental degradation require a global response. At the same time CoM SSA moves to strengthen the Africa-EU partnership and supports Agenda 2063 of the African Union Commission.
CoM SSA is the regional chapter of an international alliance of cities, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. It is a partnership between city networks, development agencies and funding institutions, supporting cities in meeting the dual challenge of climate change and access to sustainable energy to achieve a low-emission, climate resilient and sustainable energy future.
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