greenhouse gases

As the people flock to cities, infrastructure to accommodate the mushrooming urban populations is strained and environmental pressure grows apace. Cape Town has taken heed and is planning for a greener, more sustainable future. One measure is its increasing use of renewable energy sources.

It took an extra day of negotiations but delegates to the COP20 summit left Lima, Peru, having made decisions that provide a clear and solid foundation for talks in Paris at the end of next year.

The continent stands to lose the most from the gradual change in weather patterns, and the disruption in food production and destruction of habitats and ecosystems will have the greatest impact. They want delegate countries to "put more on the table" in finding a successful way to cut greenhouse emissions.

Africa produces the least amount of greenhouse gases, yet will bear the brunt of global climate change. At the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group summit in Johannesburg this week, mayor Parks Tau welcomed three new African megacities to the network, bringing the total to seven out of 66 world cities.