Week for Sustainable Mobility and Climate 2021

[IMPORTANT UPDATE 13.07]
Due to the worsening of the health situation linked to Covid19, around the world, the Week for Sustainable Mobility and Climate 2021, initially scheduled for 13 to 17 September in Dakar, has been postponed to September 2022.

Read the news release HERE

#SMDC2021: The “pre-COP” for African actors

Climate change and sustainable mobility in Africa: crucial and long-term issues for urban areas.

Nearly 20% of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) measured in the largest African cities come from motorised travel. The challenges of everyday mobility in developing countries, particularly in urban areas, and the fight against climate change at the local level are key issues.

Dakar, as well as other cities worldwide, is putting a substantial amount of effort into reducing climate vulnerability, with the development and implementation of a real climate plan, the adoption of encouraging policies and ongoing implementation of structuring projects for urban sustainable transport. Therefore, with its approach centred on public consultations and the mobilisation of local actors, the Senegalese capital is the perfect place to host the Week for Sustainable Mobility and Climate from 13th-17th September 2021.

The focal point of many state and non-state actors in the transition and the fight against climate change.

• The major climate and sustainable mobility event in Africa, in the presence of high-ranking personalities: Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal – Mansour Faye, Minister of Infrastructures, Land Transport and Disenclavement, Senegal – Abdou Karim Sall, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Senegal (tbc) – Oumar Guèye, Minister of Territorial Collectivities, Development and Planning, Senegal (tbc) – Soham El Wardini, Mayor of Dakar – Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Ecological Transition, in charge of Transport, France – Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State to the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, in charge of Tourism, French Nationals Living Abroad and Francophonie …

• An event co-organised by 3 partners committed to sustainable mobility in developing countries and to the fight against climate change at the local level: Climate Chance, CODATU (Cooperation for the Development and Improvement of Urban and Peri-urban Transport) and CETUD (Executive Council of Urban Transport in Dakar).

• An international gathering, unique for its bottom-up approach and collaborative work, bringing together a diverse community of actors, made up of local authorities, businesses/the private sector and civil society, from different areas of expertise and strategic sectors: access to climate finance, mobility & transport, urban planning, institutional and operational governance, renewable energy, buildings & construction, adaptation & water, agriculture, food & reforestation, education & training, circular economy.
• An exchange of experiences and best practices from countries from the Global South, but also mutual experiences between countries of the Global South and the North to strengthen cooperation and mould an environment favourable to climate action, the emergence of new initiatives, and a development of the local governments compatible with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular with regard to mobility.
• A progress report on major initiatives such as Covenant of Mayors in sub-Saharan Africa  (CoM SSA) or key issues such as the Great Green Wall, the state of climate finance, particularly the Green Climate Fund.
• An operational roadmap for sustainable mobility and the strengthening of locally-led climate action, to be adopted at the end of the Week: The « Dakar Declaration ».
• An opportunity to take stock of the National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and, in particular, the role of non-state actors play in them, a few weeks before COP26, where States are expected to increase their NDC ambition.

Major events from the 13th to 17th September

CODATU’s XVIII Conference
A unique opportunity to celebrate CODATU’s 40th anniversary, to highlight the improvements and efforts made since the beginning of CODATU’s journey, as well as the challenges of tomorrow, and to propose the various solutions and methods that still need to be realised to implement and achieve sustainable urban mobility.
Debates, exchanges with representatives of institutions, politicians, civil society, academics, economic and financial actors, actors in the field, and high-ranking personalities.

Conference for African Transport Ministers
Invited by Senegal and the Southern Africa Transport Policy Programme (SSATP), Ministers in charge of Transport and the Environment from different African countries will discuss the Dakar Declaration and prepare a common position for COP26.

Conference of technical and financial partners (donors)
An opportunity to discuss the importance of technical and financial support for the success of projects, to share information on financing opportunities, green financing and access to finance.

The Covenant of Mayors in sub-Saharan Africa Day (CoM SSA) 
An event dedicated to the most pressing issues of climate change and access to climate finance at the local level in the Sub-Saharan region.
A day co-organised with AECID, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, and with the involvement of the local government networks ICLEI Africa and UCLG Africa.

3rd Climate Chance Summit Africa
An unmissable key event for climate action on the continent, bringing together African non-state actors and local governments, their actions, messages and projects to the forefront of the international climate scene via a vast call for contributions campaign feeding into Climate Chance’s Cartography for Climate Action, constituting an essential milestone in the progress of the roadmaps and concrete actions led by the African sectoral coalitions.

Adoption of the Dakar Declaration in the presence of the President of the Republic of Senegal, Macky Sall. 

An SMDC-labelled Youth Event organised by the Centre des Oeuvres Universitaires de Dakar (COUD) taking place on the Dakar University Campus.

Presentation and showcasing of best practices, solutions and innovations for climate action by project leaders, from across the globe and notably Africa, taking place in the Pitch Corner …

Multiple international networks involved in the Week

• United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (CGLU Africa )​
• Local Governments for Sustainability Africa (ICLEI Africa) (ICLEI Africa)
• Partnership MobiliseYourCity
• Metropolitan and Territorial Planning Agencies (MTPA) network
• Network of French-speaking higher education and research institutions with the support of the University Agency of the Francophonie (AUF)
• Club of North/South Mobility Authorities …