The eThekwini Municipality recently scored an ‘A’ for adapting to the impacts of climate change and its preparation for natural disasters by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

The CDP tracks mitigation and adaptation actions in all C40 cities (a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis).

According to the CDP an ‘A’ score is awarded when organisations show environmental leadership, disclosing action on climate change. They must demonstrate best practices in strategy and action, including setting science-based targets in creating a climate transition plan.

Sean O’Donoghue, senior manager of climate change adaptation, said, “Within the thematic scores, eThekwini’s score shows that we are responding to climate change, in particular preparing for the impacts like flooding, heat, and sea level rise. This includes actions like implementing the Transformative River Management Programme, which aims to install community-based river maintenance in all 7, 300km of streams in the municipality.”

He said by removing alien invasive plants and plastics that choke the waterways, significant damage from flooding can be avoided.

The report confirms that the eThekwini Municipality has completed a climate risk and vulnerability assessment, an adaptation and mitigation plan, a verified greenhouse gas emissions inventory and has set adaptation goals and mitigation targets.

The municipality is a megacity member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

O’Donoghue said the eThekwini Municipality’s two key strategic climate change documents, the Durban Climate Change Strategy and the Climate Action Plan, inform the city’s response to this global existential threat.

“Outputs from reporting are presented to the city’s climate change committee, chaired by eThekwini mayor, Cllr Mxolisi Kaunda and the executive management committee, chaired by the city manager, Musa Mbhele. A climate change portal will soon be launched on the city’s strategic hub. This will be a one-stop shop for all things climate in the city,” he added.