Ekurhuleni waste officials trained to lead city’s climate action strategy

The City of Ekurhuleni, in collaboration with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, recently held a series of workshops to capacitate officials from the Waste Management Services Business Unit.

The workshops aimed to equip officials with the skills to implement climate-smart waste management systems that reduce reliance on landfills and lower associated greenhouse gas emissions.

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group comprises global cities that collectively are home to a quarter of the world’s population.

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The group works to combat the climate crisis and advance urban initiatives that reduce greenhouse gases and climate risks while promoting health, well-being, and economic opportunities.

Around 60 officials attended the workshops, held across the city from February 16 to 25. Participants were trained in enhanced technical skills, structured monitoring tools, and improved operational methodologies. The programme specifically targeted frontline officials responsible for site-level waste operations.

“This initiative by the city to strengthen institutional capacity forms part of a broader strategy to accelerate climate action, improve environmental governance, enhance municipal waste management service delivery, and achieve operational excellence,” said City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.

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“In addition to the workshops, the programme included a robust Training-of-Trainers (ToT) component, aimed at enabling internal knowledge transfer and continuous skills development within the city,” he added.

“In the long run, the city expects the programme to improve operational efficiency at waste sites, strengthen municipal waste data systems, and enhance compliance with health and safety standards,” Dlamini said.