Cape Town: Deputy Mayor and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Spatial Planning and Environment – Alderman Eddie Andrews delivered the opening address at the F20 Climate Solutions Forum, that was held earlier this week at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.
The City of Cape Town celebrated the F20 Climate Solutions Forum under the theme – Trust. Transition. Transformation: Building Relationships for Climate Solidarity. This brought together the global and local leaders, civil society organizations and philanthropic institutions to explore inclusive responses to the climate crisis, with a particular focus on solutions from the Global South.
Reportedly, the event formed part of the broader engagement process ahead of the G20 Summit to be hosted in Johannesburg later in year 2025. The forum was jointly hosted by Foundations Platform F20, the Democracy Works Foundation, the South African Presidential Climate Commission, the Just Energy Transition Project Management Unit and other leading regional and international partners.
While addressing the gathering, Alderman Andrews welcomed the delegates to one of the world’s most biodiverse urban landscapes that acknowledged the significance of Kirstenbosch as a symbol of interconnectedness and environmental stewardship.
Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews said that it is from this sacred place that they recommit listening to the earth, to the people and to one another. This forum is a call not only to act, but to act together across sectors, disciplines, continents and generations.
Moreover, drawing on Cape Town’s climate journey includes its 2018 drought crisis. Considering this, Deputy Mayor highlighted the investments of the City of Cape Town in alternative water sources and ensuring stability of existing sources, energy diversification, green jobs and climate-resilient infrastructure, all of which have been underpinned by robust partnerships with civil society, research institutions and the private sector.
Andrews further mentioned that the transition is not just about switching from coal to solar as many perceive it. It is also about ensuring that no child and no community is left behind. The resilience is not luxury, its a right.
Central to this transition, he argued, is a whole-of-society approach that meaningfully elevates community voices and ensures that climate action is rooted in justice and equity. The F20 Climate Solutions Forum re-affirmed the pivotal role of cities in driving climate solutions and highlighted the ongoing commitment of the Cape Town to integrate sustainability and social justice into its planning systems and infrastructure development.
Andrews concluded by saying that to be worthy of this moment the climate response must be inclusive, intersectional and collaborative. Innovation must be matched with compassion, and partnership must be the compass.