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Why work on energy and climate change with cities on
the African continent?

By 2050 Africa’s urban population will triple, and will be the second largest urban population in the world.

Despite being the continent most affected by the impacts of climate change and contributing 4% to global greenhouse gas emissions, only 3% of total climate finance flows to Africa.

Currently 548 million people lack access to electricity in Africa.

What is CoM SSA?

Since its launch in 2015, the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) has acted as a major catalyst for driving inclusive, city-led responses to climate change and development challenges across the region. With political commitment from over 400 local governments spanning 40 countries and representing more than 160 million residents. CoM SSA supports local governments in developing robust, evidence-based climate and energy plans, as well as scaling impactful, bankable climate and urban solutions.

CoM SSA is a European Union (EU) action that supports the external dimension of the European Green Deal, recognising that the global challenge of climate change demands a global response. At the same time, CoM SSA advances the Africa-EU partnership and aligns with Agenda 2063 of the African Union Commission, while fostering collaborative efforts within the Team Europe framework and aligning with the Global Gateway initiative.

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Learn about climate finance

The CoM SSA finance course is a self-learning online course that will teach government officials in signatory cities about unlocking finance for climate action. The training will prepare participants to successfully deliver on their mandates to secure investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation projects on behalf of their regions. The course consists of six modules that take 1-2 hours each and participants’ new knowledge and skill sets will be well-rounded and context-relevant.

Start climate finance course

Learn about climate action planning

The CoM SSA Sustainable Energy Access and Climate Action Plan (SEACAP) course is a self-learning course designed to support local governments in developing a robust SEACAP from start to finish. The course consists of 8 modules that take 1-2 hours each and participants’ new knowledge and skill sets will be well-rounded and context relevant. The SEACAP is a key document that sets the strategies, plans and actions for a sustainable and low emission development pathway, while including adaptation actions and ensuring access to secure, affordable and sustainable energy, in response to the current and future impacts of climate change in the region.

Start the SEACAP course