Tshwane, South Africa – The City of Tshwane will host the second C40 Cities Regional Sustainability Masterclass from 20 to 21 November 2025, following the inaugural event in Accra earlier this year. The two-day event will convene high-level leaders and senior decision-makers from across Tshwane, South Africa, with discussions focused on strengthening climate governance, unlocking climate finance, and accelerating the implementation of ambitious climate action at the city level.
The masterclass has been organised by the C40 Cities’ Urban Climate Action Programme – Climate Action Implementation (UCAP CAI), financed by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and supported by the British High Commission in South Africa.
The event will bring together council members, national representatives, and private sector partners to engage in dialogue, share best practices, and co-develop strategies to address urgent urban climate challenges facing the region.
As a leader in climate action among South African cities, Tshwane is actively collaborating with the UCAP CAI programme to integrate climate goals into its core policy and finance structures, with a particular focus on addressing its highest-emitting sectors.
The city is actively addressing its major challenges, guided by the current emission profile, where Energy and Buildings contribute 63% of emissions, followed by Waste (19%) and Transport (18%). While the reliance on coal-generated electricity and growing energy insecurity remain key issues, the City of Tshwane is taking on an approach aimed at accelerating sustainable solutions in high-impact sectors.
The City of Tshwane is spearheading several initiatives under UCAP CAI, including:
- Expanding Solar Energy Access: The city is addressing energy resilience by integrating small-scale renewable energy in social housing and has finalised business cases for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in this sector.
- Climate-Smart Waste Management: Tshwane is advancing climate-smart waste strategies through the development and implementation of a Sustainable Waste Management Strategy for Informal Settlements and business cases for organic waste diversion. A pilot at the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market has the potential to divert 6,200 tonnes of food waste annually, which could reduce annual methane GHG emissions by 8,570 tCO2eq.
- Mainstreaming Climate Action: The city is embedding climate accountability across its systems by aligning budgets and advisory structures, and has identified six priority municipal policies for climate integration.
Quotes on Climate Leadership and Finance
Dr. Nasiphi Moya, Executive Mayor of Tshwane, said: “The City of Tshwane is committed to building an inclusive and climate-resilient capital city that is led by responsible leadership. This is why the masterclass is important to ensure that our political and executive leadership are capacitated with practical concepts of climate change through action and impact. Key to this is departmental mainstreaming, strengthening climate communication with communities for resilience and climate finance suitable for our city. We are grateful for the work that has been accomplished so far through the CAI Programme and we’ll continue to ensure mainstreaming plays a critical role in policy development and scaling climate budget prioritisation and planning to enable implementation.”
Anthony Okoth, C40’s Regional Director for Africa, said: “African cities face growing risks from rising temperatures, extreme flooding, water scarcity, and other climate-related threats. Tshwane is demonstrating global leadership by addressing its high-emission sectors, notably Energy & Buildings and Waste. Its work through UCAP CAI to finalise business cases for clean energy in social housing and to develop strategies for diverting organic waste provides a powerful model for integrated, equitable climate action across the continent. This Masterclass will ensure these innovations can be rapidly scaled up with the necessary finance.”
The City of Tshwane has been at the forefront of advocating for legislative, systemic, and institutional reforms to advance sustainable finance, urging multilateral development banks and national governments to undertake reforms that enable direct access to climate finance. As the first African city to embark on climate budgeting, it has shown progress toward publishing its climate budget and is actively planning and implementing the integration of both climate and equity considerations into its overall financial budgeting process.
Masterclass Focus
The Regional Sustainability Masterclasses focus on four core themes essential for accelerating climate action:
- Policy Integration: Mainstreaming climate considerations into city governance and decision-making.
- Public Engagement: Building political and public support for transformative climate solutions.
- Climate Finance: Strengthening municipal systems to attract investment and scale climate action.
- Coalition Building: Fostering collaboration across sectors and levels of government.
By hosting the second Regional Masterclass, Tshwane reinforces its commitment to resilient, sustainable, and inclusive urban development, helping to build a sustained network of African political leaders driving climate action across the continent.