Johannesburg Celebrates Significant Progress in Ambitious Climate Action Plan Towards 2050 Goals

Introduction: A Milestone in Climate Commitment

The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) recently celebrated significant strides in the implementation of its ambitious Climate Action Plan (CAP), reaffirming its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions and climate resilience by 2050. The celebration took place on December 3, 2025, at an event held at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg, as part of the 'Johannesburg Accelerates Net-Zero Vision through C40 Cities' CAI Africa Programme' and a workshop themed 'From Plan to Action: Celebrating Milestones and Charting the Future of Climate Action Implementation in Johannesburg (2022–2025)'. The event brought together CoJ officials, leadership, representatives from C40 Cities, and dedicated project teams from various city entities including City Power, City Parks and Zoos, PIKITUP, and the Environmental and Infrastructure Services Department (EISD).

Key Achievements and Progress Areas

The CAP, which was formally launched in March 2021, outlines a comprehensive strategy to combat climate change in line with the Paris Agreement's objective to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Significant progress was reported across several high-impact areas:

• High-Impact Project Progress: Project teams provided detailed technical and financial updates on priority climate actions within the Energy and Waste sectors, showcasing tangible reductions in emissions and advancements in sustainable service delivery.
• Climate Finance Mainstreaming: The city has made headway in integrating the CAP into its financial and decision-making frameworks, developing robust mechanisms to identify, package, and secure funding for scaling up climate projects.
• Institutional Alignment: Climate considerations have been successfully embedded into the city's governance and decision-making processes, ensuring the CAP operates as an integrated, cross-departmental mandate rather than a standalone framework.
• Microgrids and Waste Diversion: Johannesburg is pioneering microgrids for clean energy access in informal settlements, such as The View. Additionally, the city has committed to diverting 100% of garden waste from landfill sites by 2040 through improved chipping operations and public-private partnerships, an initiative projected to reduce up to 440,000 CO2eq emissions annually and create 170 new jobs each year.

Lebo Molefe, Director of Air Quality and Climate Change for the City of Johannesburg, emphasized the social justice aspect of these efforts, stating, 'The C40 CAI Africa Programme proves that climate action is the greatest tool for social justice in Johannesburg. From pioneering microgrids for clean energy access to creating green jobs through waste diversion, we are building a safer and more resilient future today.'

Strategic Pillars and Future Outlook

The CAP targets an 85% reduction in emissions below 2016 levels by 2050, with interim goals of a 25% reduction by 2030 and 75% by 2040. The plan is structured around ten thematic areas, including ensuring affordable clean energy, enhancing water security, optimizing energy efficiency in buildings, developing resilient human settlements, and improving waste management. Notable initiatives include the Green Building Policy, approved in 2020, which aims for low to net-zero carbon performance for all new buildings by 2030 and total net-zero compliance by 2050. Furthermore, Executive Mayor Dada Morero proposed planting 200,000 trees between March 18-21, 2025, to enhance urban greening and community health.

The city's climate action is bolstered by strong partnerships with organizations such as the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the UK Government (through the UK PACT program), Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Mfundo Nkosi of the British High Commission in South Africa commended Johannesburg's efforts, remarking, 'The City of Johannesburg's leadership and commitment to sustainability are both strategic and inspiring. By embracing bold climate governance and innovative solutions... The UK government is proud to support the City of Joburg as it advances its climate action implementation.' The CAP anticipates a need for R1.3 billion in capital investment for adaptation actions until 2050, alongside an annual operating budget of approximately R650 million. These collaborative efforts and financial commitments underscore Johannesburg's dedication to a sustainable and resilient future.