Energising South African Cities & Towns - City Energy Support Unit

PLANNINGfor a sustainable futureALTHOUGH NATIONAL initiativesare essential for developingmany of the strategies, technologiesand regulations needed for sustainability,local planning efforts arethe building blocks of a sustainable‘Although it was national governments thatsigned the Climate Change Convention, thereal global leadership for reducing carbonemissions and energy conservation is comingfrom municipal leaders’– UNEPenergy future. This section explainswhy, gives examples of what citiescan do to promote a sustainablefuture, and outlines the process fordeveloping a sustainable city energyplan. Cities must be the primaryplanners for a sustainable future.Local activities and systems determinemany of the most importantaspects of sustainability, includingland use, transport systems, wastedisposal, water services, electrification,building codes, schools, housingand public buildings.As these are part of our dailylives, it is easier to organise communityand city action than nationalaction. There is also more flexibilityand uniqueness at the local level,and this allows for flexible andcreative solutions.Strategic planningStrategic planning processes at thecity level are a good way of identifying,ranking and implementingenergy and environmental policiesand programmes that promoteurban sustainability.Strategic planning is a systematicway to identify and accomplishpriority actions.Unlike simple goal setting, strategicplanning focuses on implementationand the allocation oflimited resources to critical issues.Set measurable goalsIt is important in this pioneeringprocess to set measurable goals.An important challenge will beto empower city employees andcitizens to develop the means toaccomplish goals.To do so, you must create avision for a sustainable energyfuture. Think about what you wantto achieve. Put words to your broadvision and describe the end results insome detail – include such things aslower energy bills, less air pollution,reduced solid waste, better publictransport, less traffic congestion,more people cycling to work everyday, more local jobs, and so on.Tangible targetsMake your vision tangible by settingtargets you hope to meet by aspecific date.These energy targets can includeaccess to energy targets, energyefficiency targets, and air qualitytargets, for example.Setting such targets will focuscommunity effort and provide abenchmark for evaluating success.The planning processThis planning guide uses a 10-stepprocess as a framework.The next sections, from pages6–21, will guide you through thesesystematic planning steps. The casestudies provide extra guidance.PHOTOGRAPH OF JOHANNESBURG: © WALTER KNIRR4 ENERGISING SOUTH AFRICAN CITIES & TOWNS