About the Cape Town Climate Change Coalition

The Cape Town Climate Change Coalition represents an alliance of organisations and partners who have come together to champion a programme that helps reduce carbon emissions in Cape Town, to mitigate and especially adapt to the impacts of climate change, thereby protecting and enhancing the natural, cultural, social and economic environment. The Cape Town Climate Change Coalition includes private sector organisations, governmental and non-governmental organisations, researchers and educators, who initially came together to support Cape Town’s bid to host the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 17).

These partners have agreed that they will continue to work together towards ensuring that Cape Town and the Western Cape region take full advantage of the hosting of COP 17 in Durban at the end of the year, and to building Cape Town citizens’ understanding of and commitment to managing energy and climate change issues in a resilient manner.

The CTCCC was launched on 2 March 2011 during the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) conference on Local Climate Solution for Africa 2011 held in Cape Town from 27 February until 3 March. Partners to the coalition delivered messages of support and these included:

“Cape Town Tourism is proud to be a member of the Cape Town Climate Change Coalition – united we can change our destiny and make Cape Town a great place to live and visit. Responsible management, tourism and living is the only way forward – it cannot be just another programme but must be our very foundation.” (Cape Town Tourism, Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold)

“Cape Town Climate Change coalition is wonderful and much needed initiative. CTP is excited to be part of it. The winning city of future will be the one that can form sustain and maintain public/private partnership in dealing with climate change challenges.” (Cape Town Partnership, Bulelwa Makalima-Ngewana)

“Thank you for driving and inspiring action towards addressing climate change. We look forwards to learning from you, working with you and supporting you in your efforts to tackle this critical issue.” (Western Cape Provincial Government, Helen Davies)

The Climate Smart Cape Town Campaign is a project of the Cape Town Climate Change Coalition and aims to take advantage of the hosting of the Climate Change COP 17 in Durban in November/December both in profiling  the City of Cape Town as an important city in addressing the problems of climate change as well as to promote climate change literacy and awareness among Cape Town citizens.

Inaugural members of the coalition, who contributed to Cape Town’s COP 17 bid, include Accelerate Cape Town, Cape Chamber of Commerce, Cape Higher Education Consortium, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town Partnership, Cape Town Routes Unlimited – Cape Town Convention Bureau, Cape Town Tourism, City of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, Fedhasa, International Polar Foundation, Optimal Energy, SANParks – Table Mountain National Park, University of Cape Town (African Centre for Cities and Graduate School of Business), University of Stellenbosch, University of the Western Cape, Wesgro, Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) and the Western Cape Provincial Government.  For a current list of Cape Town Climate Change Coalition partners, please view the Partners section of the Climate Smart Cape Town website.