City of Cape Town

1. City of Cape Town Cape Town: Setting a path towards sustainability Presentation to Botswana delegation: 11 June 2012

2. City of Cape Town: World Bio and Heritage Hotspot • Two Biospheres • Two World Heritage Sites • One National Park • 261 biodiversity sites of • special value • 3000 floral spp

3. Critical environmental challenges facingCape Town (1) • The great poverty divide • Inequitable, inefficient City • Unsustainable transport network • HIV-AIDS and TB pandemics

4. Critical environmental challenges facingCape Town (2) • Pressure on land [conservation vs urbanisation] • Invasive vegetation • Water scarcity and accessibility • Institutional capacity

5. What is “environment” in the CCT? Natural environment Built environment Socio-cultural environment The way these three elements fit and work together creates the environment we live in.

6. Integrated Metropolitan Environmental Policy • First environmental policy for Cape Town • Based on the principles of sustainable development • Milestone for environmental management in the City of Cape Town IMEP Brochure

7. Adopting approaches to sustainable development Holistic approach to environment Protecting unique biodiversity Meeting requirements of international, national and provincial environmental legislation Responsible stewardship of resources with local government’s charge Inherent rights of all living creatures Commitment to partnerships with civil society IMEP Principles

8. Integrated Metropolitan Environmental Mngt. Strategy

9. IMEP Tool: State of the Environment (SoE) Report • Environmental pressures, state and responses • Indicators of sustainability • 15 sectoral approaches Year 3 (2000) SoE Report Year 2 (1999) SoE Report

10. Environmental Significance Mapping IMEP Tool: GIS map of the environmentally significant areas of the CMA Includes: terrestrial, marine, aquatic, heritage resources, social, visual and geophysical layers GIS sample screen • Widely distributed for use and comment • Refined and updated on a regular basis

11. IMEP Tool: Integrated Environmental Management (IEM) • City’s compliance with the EIA regulations • IEM procedures • Contextual IEM Guidelines

12. IMEP Implementation / Metrowide policy & legislative integration: Development Control contd... • Outdoor Advertising By-law • Cellmast Policy Communication mast Outdoor Advertising

13. 8 implementation strategies in 2 years • Biodiversity • Coastal Zone Management • Energy • Environmental Education From Agenda to Action

14. 8 implementation strategies in 2 years (continued) • Air pollution • Noise pollution • Special open places • Litter and waste From Agenda to Action

15. Emphasis on Poverty Improve local environments and open spaces through community partnerships, emphasizing vulnerable sectors of society

16. 261 sites of important biodiversity Outcomes-based education poster and Teacher’s Guide Exhibition and pamphlet production IMEP Implementation / Metrowide strategy: BiodiversityConservation of Cape Flats Flora Set of 4 posters Core Sites map

17. IMEP Implementation / Metrowide strategy: Coastal Zone Management • Coastal Zone definition • State of the Coast report • Draft Coastal Zone strategy presented for comment • Integrated coastal restoration projects • Sustainable Coastal Management Plans • Blue Flag Beaches

18. IMEP Implementation / Metrowide strategy: Environmental Educationand Training

19. IMEP REVIEW: Key Findings • Cape Town’s environmental quality remains under pressure and continues to decline • Resource use and consumption is increasing while our ability and that of the environment to absorb the waste is decreasing • Natural landscapes and biodiversity are under increasing threat and pressure • Inequalities in social living environments are increasing as is the demand on aging infrastructure

20. Key Recommendations and Implementation • Long Term Development Plan • The City should develop a strong, single, long-term development plan to which it remains committed and within which it prioritizes its natural assets. • Institutional Accountability and Responsibility • This should be achieved through the establishment of formal Service Level Agreements for each sector, aligned with environmental strategies. • Build environmental capacity within line functions through the SLAs, and Internal Staff Capacity Building and Training Programmes.

21. Key Recommendations and Implementation • Organisational Commitment • Lead by example • City commitment to reduce its own resource consumption and improve resource efficiencies by at least 30% • Environmental Governance and Reporting • The establishment of clear mechanisms to ensure that the decision making process within the City of Cape Town is accountable and adheres to agreed sustainability principles and goals. E.g. Environmental evaluation of all major City projects as part of the approval process.

22. The City’s Approach to Climate Change Climate Adaptation Plan of Action • Outlines sector-based adaptation interventions • Some are already taking place • Some are planned • Some require further investigation and research • Approach has been two-fold • To examine climate-related vulnerability within the city & develop adaptation programmes around these • To workshop climate projections with specific sectors to establish a range of potential impacts, identify areas of vulnerability, and possible adaptation interventions ALSO • Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan • Coastal Protection Zone and Sea Level Rise Study • Promotion of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems A dynamic process of adaptation, learning and action

23. The City’s Approach to Climate ChangeConserving highly valuable ecosystem services Healthy ecosystems have been globally recognised as critical in resilience & adaptation planning: - buffering climate shocks & extreme weather events - key to retaining critical resources - water and food production - economic value in preventing losses

24. The City’s Approach to Climate Change Climate Smart Cape Town • Promote Cape Town as leading city in addressing climate change; • Promote climate change literacy amongst Capetonians; • Facilitate hosting key events in Cape Town linked to COP 17 • Posters ; performance and art • Banners ; exhibitions • Articles in media; radio interviews • Social media ; Green Map • Social surveys • Carrotmob • Intervention at COP 17

25. City of CT – Position on Climate Change • We are all in this together –our response must be collective effort from government, business and civil society. • Climate change is not an environmental issue – it is a socio- economic one at the core of government planning • Energy underpins our lives, our economy and our future. Urgent priority - introduction of renewable sources and increase energy efficiency • No more ‘business as usual’ - urgent need to implement adaptation plans to reduce the City’s risk to a changed climate, avert disaster and protect our economy and communities. • Climate change demands strong, bold leadership at government, business and community levels, that leads by determining development path founded on resilience, sustainability and a green economy. • We need to trust science. Even though at best open to variability, we have no other reliable information to guide us at this critical time. • Climate change - opportunity to build a green economic sector promoting growth and job creation and based on renewable energy, better public transport and protection of coastline, ecosystems, natural spaces and service infrastructure

26. WSSD, Rio + 20 and beyond • Toward an integrated sustainable future • Integration across silos • Local Agenda 21 to Local Action 21 • Embracing partnerships • World strategy to protect GCGs • Pledges and Declarations