Cape Town a 2016 C40 Cities Awards finalist

© Alexei Toiskin – 123RF.com

The awards selection committee has selected two of the city's projects as finalists:

• Energy and Climate Change Programme – Energy2040 Programme and Energy and Climate Action Plan, in the Climate Action Plans and Inventories category
  
• Transit-orientated Development Strategic Framework, March 2016, in the Sustainable Communities category

As part of its Energy and Climate Programme, the Cape Town 2012 energy and carbon targets were exceeded, and new targets were established at the end of 2015 as part of the Cape Town Energy2040 Programme process. The city’s current Energy and Climate Action Plan to 2020 contains over 100 projects and sets out the implementation path towards meeting these targets.

Its Transit-Orientated Development Strategic Framework is now the primary informant of all the city’s spatial development plans. It sets out to create a city where:

• the urban space is compact and well connected;
  
• affordable housing is located closer to urban opportunities;
  
• developments are conducive to economic and social efficiency;
  
• residents have easy access to efficient, sustainable and affordable public transport; and
  
• there is a reduction in travel times and congestion.

C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group is a network of the world’s leading cities in the international effort to combat and respond to climate change. C40 received 160 applications from 75 cities across the globe, showcasing the world’s most innovative policies and programmes to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and improve resiliency to climate change.