The Western Cape provincial government has been accepted to join the Climate Group – States & Regions Alliance, an international group of provincial, State and regional governments that aims to accelerate the global transition to a low-carbon economy.

Members share expertise on innovative policy, report on measurable climate actions and drive ambitious emissions reductions.

The States & Regions Alliance is currently a network of 35 governments, from six continents, which collectively account for 354-million people, 12% of global gross domestic product and 2.9-trillion tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Climate Group supports States and regions around the world to adapt to climate impacts, limit emissions by 2020 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, working in four key areas.

These include promoting State and regional climate leadership, driving net-zero emissions, demonstrating the impact of and promoting the actions involved in globally sharing and scaling the policies that work.

“We are all responsible for the changing climate and we are all responsible to try and mitigate it. It is important that we stand as one and work together towards finding solutions for our global problems. By forming partnerships with influential stakeholders, we can ensure that we are taking steps in the right direction.

“Businesses, governments and citizens should all play their part in taking climate action, better together,” Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Minister Anton Bredell said.

The Western Cape was the first provincial government in South Africa to highlight climate change concerns starting with initial studies and a first generation climate change strategy in 2008. “We now have a province-wide climate change response strategy and implementation framework that was finalised in 2014, which covers all key sectors of the province.”

The provincial government stresses that climate change is an economic and a social challenge and will undermine the region’s development gains if it is not well prepared.

"It will impact food, water and energy security, our health and wellbeing, our living conditions and the infrastructure and transport networks that our economic activities depend on. Climate change is already affecting the most vulnerable communities in this province."

Through this new partnership network, the local government will also aim to raise its climate change ambitions and delivery, as well as share internationally the innovation and successes of current climate change initiatives.

This includes the first subnational climate change monitoring and evaluation report, the pioneering sectoral subnational climate change response plan in South Africa, climate change forums and databases.

Further, it aims to share and learn from peers in similar subnational governments to accelerate the province’s action and response to climate change.