Increased efforts to combat climate change
The mayor said that in the run up to the C40 Mayors Summit that was held in February the city developed a city-wide greenhouse gas inventory.
The City of Johannesburg has several plans in place to help it deal with climate change.
During his State of the City address, the executive mayor, Clr Parks Tau, said year after year, the city continues to increase its efforts to deal with climate change and conserve resources while guaranteeing security of water and energy supply to residents.
“Recent experiences of load shedding coupled with the escalation on the prices of electricity are a stark reminder of the pressures we face as a city and country, in the electricity industry,” he said.
The mayor said that in the run up to the C40 Mayors Summit that was held in February the city developed a city-wide greenhouse gas inventory.
“This inventory offers the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) an internationally accepted management tool to make informed decisions about climate change,” he said.
According to him, the 43 000 solar water heaters installed by City Power collectively generates the equivalent of 22.5 Gigawatt hours of electricity per year.
The mayor believes the installation of 42 000 smart meters, geyser control systems and energy efficiency programmes will continue to enhance the city’s energy efficiency.
“The city mandated the Environment, Infrastructure and Services Department, and the board and management of City Power to present to council proposals for a future energy mix. This should include the increased utilisation of gas, the uptake of roof top photovoltaic systems and other alternative, greener energy sources.
“The city will make final decisions on these matters once the department and the company have fulfilled the mandate. We are also developing Biogas-to-Energy (BTE) plants at our wastewater treatment plants to mitigate climate change and reduce energy costs. In November 2013 we commissioned the first plant at our Northern Works wastewater site. The second one at the Driefontein Works will be operational by May 2014,” said Clr Tau.
He urged the public to use water sparingly.
“We intend introducing water saving devices in the city’s own housing developments and encourage private developers to introduce conservation measures such as rainwater harvesting, the use of groundwater through borehole drilling and utilising treated effluent for irrigation purposes.
“We have started with the process to replace 143 kilometres of water pipes and implement pressure management as part of a three year 900 kilometre refurbishment of water pipes. This will reduce technical water losses from leaks and pipe bursts,” said Clr Tau.
The city is reviewing its bylaws and tariff policies to promote water conservation. “The diversion of waste away from landfills remains a key priority for the CoJ. Some of the waste streams identified, include the diversion of green waste, builders’ rubble, food waste and residual waste,” said Clr Tau.
There are several other initiatives the city plans on implementing, some of which includes job creation and entrepreneurial activity.
@JoziReporter
