Speech by the Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de
Lille, at the Global Green Building Convention on
17 October 2013
Delegates to the Global Green Building Convention of 2013,
Honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning, goeie môre, molweni, as-salaam-alaikum.
Green buildings are part of a broader shift in development and the
economy.
They are not simply some fashionable idea from the environmentally
conscious.
Instead, they are part of a global shift towards sustainable development
and a greener economy.
This shift involves the need for knowledge transfers at the international,
national and domestic level.
It requires an assessment of trends and innovations in specific sectors.
And it requires opportunities to develop our mutual understanding and
learn from each other.
In that spirit, I would like to share some of our experiences with you.
Indeed, the development of a green economy in Cape Town is a key
strategic objective of the City.
The creation of a green economy is recognised in both our medium-term
economic growth strategy and our long-term vision which we crafted with
the Western Cape Government for the region: the ‘OneCape 2030’ vision.
But having the commitment is only the first step – we have to understand
what that commitment means.
For us, the green economy reflects a way of taking economic policy
decisions in a manner that acknowledges and seeks to correct
environmental problems that may be caused by the market.
That means encouraging the green economy by making land available for
green economic enterprise in Atlantis through incentives; encouraging
green procurement in our own supply chain procedures; and using green
building materials in our own developments.
More generally in the economy as a whole, it means supporting activities
that open up avenues for growth in new and emerging sectors that have a
low carbon footprint and reduce adverse environmental impacts.
But at its heart, our key goal is to build a socially inclusive, low carbon
and resource-efficient economy.
This draws directly on United Nations Environmental Programme’s
definition of the green economy, and situates Cape Town within the
“green growth” model.
This recognises the value contained in natural assets and the resources
and the services they provide as essential for economic growth.
Furthermore, the City of Cape Town has welcomed the introduction of the
“Green is Smart” strategy of the Western Cape Government as a guiding
framework for a shared transition to a greener economy.
This strategy has identified five key drivers: Smart Living and Working,
Smart Mobility, Smart Eco-systems, Smart Agri-production, and Smart
Enterprise.
I believe that green buildings meet several of the objectives, especially as
we seek to make Cape Town’s growth and development more sustainable
in the long-term.
In conclusion, I wish you every success with your deliberations.
Welcome once again to Cape Town. We hope to learn from you as much
as you do from each other.
Thank you, baie dankie, enkosi.