Celebrating a decade of driving local climate action in sub-Saharan Africa

On this occasion, we are reflecting on how CoM SSA has evolved over the years, moving from a primary focus on convening cities, peer-to-peer exchange, advocacy, planning and increasing signatories, to a more mature, well-respected and widely-appreciated initiative that is more strategic in its approach. Co-funded by EU, BMZ, AECID and The French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and implemented through long-standing partners AFD/EF (France), AECID (Spain), GIZ (Germany) and ICLEI Africa (host of the CoM SSA Secretariat), CoM SSA supports the work of the EU's Global Gateway initiative boosting smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy and transport sectors in Africa.

 

CoM SSA convenes Mayors through the CoM SSA Regional Mayors Forum, which includes democratically-elected Mayors from each of sub-Saharan Africa’s four sub-regions, where peers discuss how they can better serve African residents who are bearing the brunt of climate change impacts. There has been a sea-change shift in this group of Mayoral leaders, from looking to the CoM SSA Secretariat team, the European Commission (as core funder) and Member State Organisations (as implementing organisations) for solutions, to looking to each other and themselves for leadership, impetus and commitment, to enable the changes necessary. The RMF, as a grouping of peers, has made way for meaningful exchanges amongst members. Conversations range from how public/private partnerships are being harnessed in Dire Dawa for tangible actions, to how joint ventures are being set up in Walvis Bay to ensure private sector companies are not extractive in their operations but rather leave a legacy of improved Namibian lives.

 

Another strategic form of exchange is business matchmaking exchanges, which have improved over the years, moving from dialogue to concrete action. Recent events enabled city-to-city learning, engagement with the private sector and financiers, and the launch of new partnerships, including three pilot projects and one finance application.

 

Though implementation is vital, Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plans (SEACAPs) and climate and energy badges, awarded by GCoM, matter. Evidence-based plans are needed to guide effective implementation. CoM SSA now focuses on implementation-oriented planning that minimises resource pressures on cities.

 

Demonstrating the importance of the SEACAP process, Lusaka (Zambia)’s Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVA) led to the delivery of targeted capacity building and training related to accessing climate finance to address the critical vulnerabilities that were identified by the RVA, such as health sector impacts and water resource management. The findings of the RVA will further guide officials in Lusaka to prioritise actions that address priority needs for most efficient resource use that build long-term resilience.

 

Over the years, there have been shifts to make the planning process more efficient and accessible. The recently approved GCoM simplified reporting level approach, where cities do not have to adhere to the full suite of Common Reporting Framework (CRF) requirements to be badged, is a positive step in reducing planning burdens and freeing up resources to make sure those plans can be implemented. CoM SSA has also developed tools, for example, the SEACAP toolbox, now available here on the CoM SSA Learning Portal, which supports signatories across sub-Saharan Africa to speed up high-quality planning work, even in data-scarce environments, using proxy data tools.

 

Building on this, CoM SSA is working closely with European Union (EU) Delegations, CoM SSA ensures that local climate priorities feed into broader EU cooperation frameworks. This integrated approach has enhanced decentralised cooperation by empowering local governments to develop and implement their SEACAPs, while maintaining strong alignment with national climate policies and Team Europe-supported investment pipelines. In Ghana, CoM SSA is working closely with the EU Delegation to identify synergies with other EU-supported projects and initiatives led by EU Member States. For example, in Sekondi-Takoradi, CoM SSA has coordinated with FCDO on the city’s flood resilience work and worked in alignment with the EU-supported Twin Cities in Sustainable Partnership Programme.

 

To further increase the likelihood of implementation, CoM SSA ensures that SEACAPs are aligned with relevant government development plans. For example, Sekondi-Takoradi (Ghana)’s SEACAP has been embedded within existing national planning systems, particularly Ghana’s Medium-Term Development Planning process, ensuring that climate action is not a standalone effort but part of the city’s broader development trajectory.

 

CoM SSA has supported signatory cities in developing 69 climate action projects, including 30 pilot projects with a combined potential investment of over EUR 629.5 million. These initiatives are expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 18 million tonnes. 13 of these projects, with a financial value of EUR 468 227 000, have been taken up by financiers.

 

The largest of these projects to date is the EUR 409 million Omi Eko project in Lagos (Nigeria), which is transforming public transport with electric-powered ferries and climate-smart terminals. By replacing diesel-powered buses with ferries powered by renewable energy, the project will cut CO2 emissions by 54,000 tonnes annually.

 

Sustainable energy transformation in public buildings is also being driven through the Urban Smart Energy (USE) initiative. Supporting decentralised energy systems and energy efficiency measures in schools, hospitals, and markets, USE conducts feasibility analyses that attract private sector investment. The initiative has been rolled out in eight cities, assessing over 80 city-owned sites to date.

 

In Kisumu County (Kenya) a biogas unit demonstrates how biodigesters can provide clean energy, high-quality fertiliser, and sustainable waste management. The success of this pilot enables the county to replicate the solution and access additional funding for potential scale-up.

 

Similarly, the “Feeding and Greening Nouakchott” project in Mauritania is transforming the desert outskirts of the city into 10 hectares of solar-irrigated urban farms, boosting both food security and local employment. Today, the city’s markets are supplied with competitively priced, locally grown produce—a stark contrast to just five years ago, when vegetable cultivation in Nouakchott seemed impossible.

 

Examples like these show signatory cities what climate resilience looks like in practice, building trust and demonstrating pathways for scaling climate action across the region.  CoM SSA is actively working to enhance local governments’ capacity to access finance to implement their projects. Over 300 climate change leaders have completed CoM SSA's climate finance online course, greatly enhancing their understanding of project design, financing mechanisms, and the expectations of funders, as indicated by 90% of course participants.

 

 

 

CoM SSA Mayors lead vital advocacy that ensures that local governments—as frontline climate responders—are heard and prioritised in tackling the climate crisis. At COP29, these Mayors delivered impactful statements at the Third Annual Ministerial Meetings on Urbanisation and Climate Change. At the inaugural Africa Urban Forum (AUF), their input shaped a more inclusive, action-driven Declaration. At the Africa Climate Summit 2 in Addis Ababa, the CoM SSA Regional Mayors Forum unanimously agreed on core messaging and linked actions going forward, to COP30 and beyond.

 

We have built solid momentum, gained critical learnings and proven that African cities are not waiting. They are taking action. Now, the signatories, funders, Secretariat, and partners are ready to unlock the next phase of climate leadership, under the guidance of the CoM SSA RMF. Stronger partnerships, deeper investment, and bolder action will continue driving a just, resilient, and low-carbon future for cities in sub-Saharan Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For GIZ, CoM SSA’s achievements over the past ten years stand as proof of what sustained advisory support and committed partnerships can deliver: resilient infrastructure, efficient energy systems and strong regional networks that share practical solutions. Leading this contribution has been both exciting and humbling because the real driving force is the determination of African cities to implement locally driven climate solutions amid deeply complex challenges. In Phase IV, we remain committed as this partnership continues to deliver meaningful and scalable climate solutions on the ground. ~ Yodit Zeggay, Head of Project, GIZ