Johannesburg, South Africa (3 December 2025) – The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) today celebrated the substantial progress in the city implementing its ambitious Climate Action Plan (CAP) towards achieving net-zero emissions and climate resilience by 2050.
At an event at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg, CoJ officials and leadership were joined by C40 Cities representatives, and dedicated project teams from City Power, City Parks and Zoos, PIKITUP and City of Johannesburg Environmental and Infrastructure Department (EISD), among other city officials. Attendees reflected on the programme’s high-impact actions, key achievements, and future strategies. The session also included a candid review of lessons learned during the project phase (2022-2025).
Key Highlights and Achievements Presented:
- High-Impact Project Progress: Project teams delivered detailed technical and financial updates on priority climate actions in the Energy and Waste sectors, demonstrating tangible reductions in emissions and progress toward sustainable service delivery.
- Climate Finance Mainstreaming: Progress in embedding the CAP into the city’s financial and decision-making structures. There has been a development of robust frameworks to identify, package, and secure funding for scaling up climate projects.
- Institutional Alignment: Discussions affirmed that the CAI Programme has successfully embedded climate considerations into the city’s governance and decision-making processes, ensuring the CAP is an integrated, cross-departmental mandate rather than a standalone framework.
Lebo Molefe, Director of Air Quality and Climate Change, City of Johannesburg, said “The C40 CAI Africa Programme proves that climate action is the greatest tool for social justice in Johannesburg. From pioneering microgrids for clean energy access to creating green jobs through waste diversion, we are building a safer and more resilient future today.”
Mfundo Nkosi, British High Commission, South Africa, said “The City of Johannesburg’s leadership and commitment to sustainability are both strategic and inspiring. By embracing bold climate governance and innovative solutions, Johannesburg is setting a benchmark for urban transformation in Africa. The UK government is proud to support the City of Joburg as it advances its climate action implementation.’
Lusanda Madikizela, C40’s Director of Implementation, Africa, said: The UCAP CAI programme in the City of Johannesburg demonstrates how we can move from what is possible to what is proven on the ground through replicable, scalable solutions with real impact. Achievements like these are essential for sharing knowledge and inspiring progress in cities across Africa and beyond.
Joburg, through implementing its ‘waste actions’ as part of its ambitious climate action plan, has committed to diverting 100% garden waste from landfill sites by 2040, through improved chipping operations and public-private partnerships. Through this initiative, the city can reduce up to 440,000 CO2eq emissions per year and could create 170 additional jobs each year.
UCAP CAI energy actions in Joburg have driven community engagement and co-creation for the implementation of the micro-grids in the View informal settlement, which enables energy access to frontline communities, thus enabling inclusive climate action.
CoJ, through the CAI programme, has also engaged widely across city departments to integrate climate action into priority city plans and relevant integrated plans. Additionally, Joburg has enabled strong engagement with young people through supporting the Green Youth Expo and driving youth involvement in tackling climate change.
The milestone celebration event fostered meaningful discussions about future plans, specifically focusing on funding strategies for scaling successful pilots, institutionalising programme outcomes in the years to come and facilitating knowledge sharing across city departments and with other cities.