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Highlights from Africa Climate Week: Multilevel governance, a key enabler of a new dispensation for climate ambition and action
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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Press release | EU Climate Diplomacy Week: Four Mayors unite to confront climate change challenges
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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Genuine collaboration critical for African cities to combat devastating climate change
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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Urban sustainability takes centre stage: Key takeaways from Climate Chance Conference Africa 2023
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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Mainstreaming gender into renewable energy action planning
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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Press release: Sekondi-Takoradi Reinforces Climate Leadership with the Support of the European Union and the German Cooperation
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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Mombasa and Nakuru Exchange on Urban Smart Energy
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 Maputo Metropolitan Area launches a joint Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan
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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CoM SSA Regional Mayors Forum (RMF) Africa Climate Week Declaration
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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Cameroon and Kenya Strengthen Climate Commitment: Cities Sign Memorandums of Understanding
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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Breaking barriers: channelling climate finance to local government
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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Launch of a climate and energy plan to build a sustainable and resilient territory in the communes of Tchaoudjo
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 embraces sustainable energy solutions
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.