South Africa has become the first nation to formally endorse the Town Hall COP Initiative as a platform for creating inclusive national climate plans.
ICLEI and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) have partnered to offer a series of Town Hall COPs in communities across the country.
South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) announced by letter its official endorsement of the Town Hall COP Initiative, the first-ever national government to do so. This endorsement aligns with the priorities of South Africa’s G20 Presidency, such as innovation for sustainable development.
The letter, signed by Maesela Kekana, Deputy Director-General for Climate Change and Air Quality, confirms the DFFE’s readiness to collaborate with SALGA, ICLEI Africa, and partners in hosting a series of Town Hall COPs across the country. These local gatherings will serve as critical entry points for multilevel collaboration, shaping the implementation of South Africa’s climate change actions, the country’s upcoming Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) and national discussion points for COP30.
Launched by ICLEI, the Town Hall COP Initiative is a new global effort to center local communities in the climate conversation. It invites local and regional governments, municipal authorities, and their local communities, in collaboration with national governments, to bring the global climate movement home by hosting a climate summit in their own community.
The insights and outcomes of each Town Hall COP can feed directly into the NDCs and the global climate agenda, offering an unprecedented opportunity for communities to help shape climate policy from the ground up.
“We are pleased to confirm DFFE’s support for this important platform, which aligns strongly with our vision for inclusive and multilevel climate governance,” wrote Mr Kekana.
“The Town Hall COPs present a valuable opportunity to localize climate dialogue, amplify voices from communities and municipalities, and collectively shape South Africa’s NDC and position for COP30. We look forward to deepening our partnership with SALGA, ICLEI Africa and stakeholders through this initiative and reinforcing our collective commitment to a climate-resilient and just South Africa,” said Deputy Director-General Kekana.
Dorah Marema, Head of the Municipal Sustainability Portfolio at SALGA, expressed the significance of this endorsement:
“We are embarking on a historic process, hosting Town Hall COPs throughout the country, co-led by Mayors who are eager to act. For the first time, the national government has committed to bringing NDC consultations to the local level through this platform. This is unprecedented, and it signals a real shift toward co-ownership of climate action.”
Ms Marema emphasized that empowering local governments will be crucial:
“Municipalities must be in the driver’s seat. To unlock their leadership potential, we need needs-based, collaborative capacity-building models, and above all, access to finance. Involving local government actors in national policy-making processes ensures buy-in, takes account of existing actions, and raises ambition. The revised NDC must mandate a transition from passive compliance to proactive leadership in adaptation, resilience, and just transition implementation.”
Watch Dorah Marema’s intervention at the Daring Cities 2025 Bonn Dialogues, where she refers to this endorsement here.
A model for global replication
Yunus Arikan, Director of Global Advocacy at ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and LGMA Focal Point to the UNFCCC, noted the broader significance:
“This first-ever national endorsement of the Town Hall COP Initiative is a breakthrough for multilevel climate action. It provides a strong precedent for other countries to follow. Already, Town Hall COPs have taken place in six cities across five countries. With South Africa’s leadership, we’re showing how local voices can directly shape national climate policy, and ultimately global negotiations, before, during, and beyond COP30 in Belém.”
Looking ahead, ICLEI is coordinating with partners in Brazil, Malaysia, and across Asia and Africa to connect urbanization and multilevel action in the formal COP30 outcomes. Dialogues are planned with Brazil’s Ministry of Cities, Malaysia’s Ministry of Urban Development, and regional forums like the ASEAN Mayors Forum (August, Malaysia) and the Africa Climate Summit (September, Ethiopia).
Kobie Brand, Deputy Secretary General of ICLEI and Regional Director of ICLEI Africa, underlined the importance of inclusivity and co-creation in the Town Hall COP process:
“At ICLEI Africa, we are ready to support our Members in leveraging Town Hall COPs to build partnerships across sectors and levels of government, strengthen local-national collaboration, and ensure inclusivity by giving voice to underrepresented communities and addressing real African needs. We look forward to working closely with our partners at SALGA, the DFFE and all local governments involved towards a successful and meaningful outcome of the South African Town Hall COPs towards COP30 and beyond.”
Learn more and get involved in the Town Hall COP Initiative: iclei.org/town-hall-cop/
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