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Stuff from Johannesburg

The potential of African cities in tackling global climate change

JOHANNESBURG – The C40 Cities Forum will be held in Africa for the first time; Africa’s leading city officials to connect with investors at C40 Cities (https://www.C40.org/) ’ industry-leading sustainability Forum in Johannesburg on 12th June. The event aims to highlight the huge investment opportunity in Africa, paving the way for a more sustainable future; Speaker highlights include Val Smith, Managing Director and Global Head, Corporate Sustainability, Citi; Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba, City of Johannesburg; Mayor Sowah, City of Accra

C40 Cities’ Financing Sustainable African Cities Forum will take place on Wednesday 12th June for the first time in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Forum will provide a high-profile platform for city mayors and senior officials from across Africa to connect with investors, including Rand Merchant Bank and AfD, international stakeholders and not-for-profit organisations, during an exclusive one-day event.

The Forum is hosted by C40 Cities’ Financing Sustainable Cities Initiative (FSCI), which is supported by the Citi Foundation. The Forum will showcase the potential of Africa’s city-level projects and the opportunities available for an investment community that is increasingly seeking out sustainable urban solutions in the region. It will help to facilitate new investment in these solutions, empowering African cities to take the lead in changing the trajectory of the fight against climate change.

Speakers in attendance will include his Excellency Ambassador Bene Lofongo M’poko, Dean of the Diplomatic Corp in South Africa; Jerrod Moodley, Rand Merchant Bank; Mayor of Sowah, City of Accra, Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba, City of Johannesburg and Val Smith, Managing Director and Global Head, Corporate Sustainability, Citi. Topics include financial tools for climate adaptation in cities, aligning inclusivity with sustainability and partnerships to develop clean transportation and energy, culminating in wrap-up sessions for cities to discuss new ideas for sustainable change, share expertise and decide next steps in their journey to tackle climate change.

Safeguarding the future of global cities has never been more important, with over half the world’s population now living in urban areas. The knowledge, technologies and ambition exist to make cities more resilient and accelerate urban sustainability projects across the globe. Furthermore, city leaders share this ambition and are committed to making this much-needed change happen for the wellbeing of residents and future generations.

For effective urban sustainable solutions to materialise, however, they need solid financial foundations. Through its various events, the FSCI connects city leaders with investors to bridge the gap between idea and implementation in the urban sustainability landscape.

James Alexander, City Finance Programme Director, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, said, “As a key player in driving urban sustainability projects across the globe, we are proud to be facilitating the conversation around sustainable city financing in Africa for the first time. We are committed to driving environmentally sound solutions and facilitating global partnerships throughout the region and beyond. African cities offer viable investment opportunities and we hope to demonstrate this through the Forum, enabling investors to recognise the potential that awaits here.”

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The Geological Miracle of the Witwatersrand

The very existence of Johannesburg is a geological fluke. Unlike most major global cities, Johannesburg was not built near a river, a coast, or a natural harbor. It sits 1,753 meters above sea level on a rocky ridge called the Witwatersrand (Ridge of White Waters). This ridge is the edge of the world’s largest known gold deposit, formed over 2 billion years ago when an ancient inland sea began to evaporate, leaving behind layers of gold-bearing conglomerate.

When George Harrison, an Australian prospector, stumbled upon an outcrop of gold on the farm Langlaagte in 1886, he triggered a “gold rush” that changed the course of African history. Within a decade, a dusty collection of tents and wagons transformed into a permanent city of brick and mortar. The “Main Reef” proved so vast that it eventually produced nearly 40% of all the gold ever mined in human history. This geological wealth dictated the city’s layout: the mining belt runs east-to-west across the city’s center, creating a physical divide between the wealthy northern suburbs and the industrial, working-class south. Today, while most mines within the city limits have closed due to the extreme depth and cost of extraction (some mines reached over 3.9 kilometers underground), the physical legacy remains in the form of “mine dumps”—massive yellow-white hills of crushed rock and sand that define the Joburg skyline.