Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews participates in Global Forum on Climate Solidarity

29 May 2025

The City of Cape Town’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews, delivered the opening address at the F20 Climate Solutions Forum, held earlier this week at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.

Convened under the theme ‘Trust. Transition. Transformation: Building Relationships for Climate Solidarity’, the F20 Climate Solutions Forum brought together global and local leaders, civil society organisations, and philanthropic institutions to explore inclusive responses to the climate crisis, with a particular focus on solutions from the Global South.

The event formed part of the broader engagement process ahead of the G20 Summit to be hosted in Johannesburg later this year. 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.

In his address, Alderman Andrews welcomed delegates to one of the world’s most biodiverse urban landscapes, acknowledging the significance of Kirstenbosch as a symbol of interconnectedness and environmental stewardship.

‘It is from this sacred place that we recommit to listening to our earth, to our people, and to one another. This forum is a call not only to act, but to act together across sectors, disciplines, continents, and generations,’ said Alderman Andrews.

Drawing on Cape Town’s climate journey, including its 2018 drought crisis, the Deputy Mayor highlighted the City’s investments 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.

‘A just 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. Resilience is not a luxury. It is a right,’ said Alderman Andrews.

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 reaffirmed the pivotal role of cities in driving climate solutions and highlighted Cape Town’s ongoing commitment to integrating sustainability and social justice into its planning systems and infrastructure development.

‘To be worthy of this moment our climate response must be inclusive, intersectional, and collaborative. Innovation must be matched with compassion, and partnership must be our compass,’ concluded Alderman Andrews.

Caption: Ald. Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, exchanging a greeting with Katrin Harvey, F20 General Secretary, with Raisa Cole, Chair of F20 and Organisational Development Manager at Democracy Works Foundation, in the background.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office