The City of Cape Town has taken another step towards the fostering of green energy and reducing Cape Town’s carbon footprint.

The Mayoral Committee has recommended to Council that it establishes an Energy & Climate Change Committee at its Council meeting on Thursday 26 April.

This committee will ensure that Cape Town’s energy plan reduces the City’s carbon footprint according to set targets and timelines with the goal of making the city carbon neutral. This will be achieved through the promotion of green energies, as well as improvements in Cape Town’s energy efficiency relating to industrial, commercial and domestic consumption of energy.

Once established by Council, the committee will make recommendations on the technological, regulatory and the behavioral changes required to improve the energy efficiency of the City and to reduce its carbon footprint. Much has already been done, but the City recognizes that there is still much that can be done in making Cape Town’s use of resources as efficient as possible.

The City of Cape Town takes the issue of climate change seriously and this committee will also ensure that the city becomes more resilient and adaptable with respect to its effects.

developing sustainable energy plans

The committee will profile the current energy consumption patterns of Cape Town and will use this information to develop sustainable energy plans for the short and long term which may utilize wind power, solar/photovoltaic power, gas, wave energy, hydro-electricity, biogas, biomass, or any combination of these sources of energy.

It is recognized that the success of these energy plans relies upon the development of a financial and funding model that ensures a stable revenue stream during the process of shifting Cape Town’s energy profile towards cleaner sources of energy. The Energy and Climate Change Committee will be responsible for developing such a model, as well as ensuring that the energy plan is in line with national, provincial and other legal and regulatory requirements.

The move towards cleaner energy sources must also benefit local green industries. The committee will draw on international best practice and will also focus on local research, design and innovation to ensure that the city’s energy plan maximises local job creation and economic benefits for the city.

The City of Cape Town is committed to developing a city with a sustainable clean energy base and to reducing its energy consumption to appropriate levels.

source: press release from the City of CT