The City of Cape Town conducted a forum on Friday with the commercial sector to discuss challenges and opportunities associated with the ever-increasing scarcity and reliance on conventional water and electricity supply sources.
Key points of discussion centred around water and energy security, the amendments to the City’s Water By-law, its Water Star Rating Certification system, and its commitment to carbon neutrality targets.
Case studies were presented by businesses which have started future-proofing their operations and shared in a panel discussion.
"Cape Town is increasingly being recognised as a leader in resilience, and ongoing efforts in both the public and private sectors to evolve our relationship in these spaces are paving the way towards ‘future-proofing’ their operations," the City said.
The City said careful consideration has been given before applying for an international loan of R1.2 billion. If approved at a full council meeting in October, the funds will be used to upgrade wastewater plants. Questions have been raised regarding the timing of such an exorbitant loan amid a technical recession.
Mayco member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services Xanthea Limberg said if the loan is approved, ratepayers will not be the hardest hit.
"The City's loan application is taken over an extended period of time. In this case, we are looking at 15 years and often the structuring of the loan over a longer period of time allows for one to be able to repay that loan at a lower interest rate, which also then minimises the impact on excessive tariff increases...
"Efforts to enhance Cape Town’s resilience as a whole are key to facilitating future investment and protecting existing enterprise. Implementing changes to the way things have historically been done can be challenging and uncomfortable, but there is a need to reform these systems in the interests of long-term rewards and resilience.
"The silver lining to any crisis is the corresponding emergence of innovation. We are forced to think differently to find solutions and to adapt.
"Resource constraints in the energy and water sector have in the past few years driven reflection on our attitudes towards these resources and seen growing numbers of businesses ‘future-proofing’ their operations against natural resource shocks.
"The Energy, Water and Waste (EWW) Forum, run by the City and partners since 2009 promotes resource efficiency by providing stakeholders with useful information and support, and provides a platform to share best practices and latest trends.
"Energy-related presentations discussed how the City, together with the three other major metros in South Africa, has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and carbon neutral new buildings by 2030 under the C40 Deadline 2020 and SA Buildings programmes respectively, which focus on delivering on the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.
"These commitments are an extension of the City’s Energy2040 and resource efficiency programmes and accord with the City’s Climate Change Policy.
"Building a culture of energy efficiency must be prioritised to meet these goals. This is driven in part by voluntary programmes like the Green Building Council of South Africa’s Net Zero Certification as well as policies and by-laws.
"Other approaches and interventions under consideration to meet the commitments include the development of precinct-scale net zero development conditions; retrofit plans for existing buildings; incentive packages to promote net zero carbon buildings and precincts; and accelerating the transition to a cleaner energy supply.
"South African businesses are already making strides towards carbon neutrality, net zero water and net zero waste. Virgin Active, Woolworths and GrowthPoint all made presentations on their ambitious targets and the exciting projects that are under way to help them reach those targets.
"As part of the City’s multi-faceted programme to facilitate water efficiency, a new rating system initiative has been launched to encourage commerce and industry to improve their water management practices by using the tool."
"The assessment covers different aspects of water management, namely: Where the water comes from; How the water is used on site and in operations; What measures are in place to reduce potable water demand; How much effluent is discharged into the system and the quality of this effluent."
Business owners who would like to apply for an assessment can do so by contacting [email protected]. On completion of the assessment, they will be issued a certificate reflecting their achievement in reducing water consumption.
"Given that the times we are living in are characterised by so much uncertainty, we have a shared responsibility to work together to build a resilient City that is less vulnerable to climate variability. I am confident that this is not only possible, but an inspiring opportunity for greater heights of success to be achieved.
"As a City, we know that business and government need to work together towards this goal of a greener and more sustainable future," said Limberg.