By Nellie Oliech
Kisumu County, Kenya: The mayors and governors of ten major African cities announced unprecedented, ambitious commitment to improve air quality with the signing of the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration.
Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Dakar, Ekurhuleni, Freetown, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi and Tshwane will join a global cohort of 38 cities, including Durban, South Africa.
By signing the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration, the mayors recognize that breathing clean air is a human right and commit to working towards safer air quality that meets World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines.
The C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration sets a framework for cities around the world to improve air quality.
Within two years, signatories to the declaration will establish baseline levels and set ambitious reduction targets for air pollutants that meet or exceed national commitments. These targets will put the cities on a path toward meeting WHO Air Quality Guidelines for particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide.
C40’s new African Cities for Clean Air Programme will help cities to achieve the said commitments through capacity building, regionally focused peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, and collaboration centered on air quality best practices.
“Durban has already made progress on its commitments over the past three years. The city has procured new reference monitors, reviewed and aligned its air quality by-laws, and begun the development of a city-wide emissions inventory of air pollutants, aligned with a greenhouse gas inventory” said Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of eThekwini.
Adding “Durban has also carried out an equity assessment to inform the design of their low emission zone and plans to further develop the concept in the coming year” explained Mayor Mxolisi.
Anna Kananu Mwenda, Governor of Nairobi said that Nairobi City Administration’s commitment toward city-wide clean air will form a vital component in achieving the vision as the most livable, clean, and sustainable city.
“We are strengthening the air quality management system in Nairobi by developing an air quality action plan, policy and bill,” said Kananu.
Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions has said that the world’s fastest-growing cities are in Africa, and ten mayors can help show cities everywhere how to protect public health, fight climate change and expand economic opportunity all at the same time. He further noted that Cities play a vital role in the fight against climate change.
“This new commitment is an important step to help build momentum and highlight Africa’s leadership in the lead-up to COP27 in Egypt later this year,” said Mr. Bloomberg.
The new signatories of the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration will take careful steps to improve air quality, from establishing baseline air pollution levels to setting new air quality targets and implementing policies and programs that address the leading causes of air pollution emissions.
Air pollution has become the second-largest cause of death on the African continent, due in part to rapid urbanization and industrialization. Approximately 1.1 million deaths per year have been linked to air pollution across Africa. Cities are taking bold action to tackle air pollution and clean the air we breathe.
Through the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration, 48 cities have committed to establishing baseline air pollution levels, setting ambitious targets which meet or exceed national commitments, and implementing new substantive policies and programs to address the top causes of air pollution emissions.
Through the declaration, mayors commit to using their power and influence to reduce air pollution and work towards meeting the WHO’s Air Quality Guidelines. This means cities will continually reduce their local emissions, and advocate for reductions in regional emissions, resulting in continuous declines in air pollution levels that move toward the WHO guidelines.
