News 6 September 2024
The City of Johannesburg has officially launched the Breathe Cities initiative with local residents as part of its annual Clean Air Week. Through Breathe Cities, Johannesburg is part of a global effort to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance public health in urban areas.
Delivered by the Clean Air Fund, C40 Cities and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Breathe Cities was first launched in June 2023 by Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, and Mayor Sadiq Khan, Co-Chair of C40 Cities and Mayor of London.
The initiative integrates air quality data, community engagement and leadership from city officials to achieve a targeted 30% reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions across participating cities by 2030. This would prevent 39,000 premature deaths and avoid 284 megatons of CO2e emissions. In addition to Johannesburg, Breathe Cities is currently active in Accra, Brussels, Jakarta, London, Milan, Nairobi, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sofia and Warsaw.
The City of Johannesburg has already identified several important projects under the Breathe Cities initiative. This includes a source apportionment study to understand the drivers of air pollution, expanded awareness campaigns, stakeholder engagement, targeted policy commitments to reduce emissions and enhancements to air quality monitoring systems.
Councillor Jack Sekwaila, Member of the Mayoral Committee of the Environment and Infrastructure Service Department for the City of Johannesburg, emphasised the crucial importance of clean air for public health and daily life. “Air pollution remains the leading environmental risk to human health and a major preventable cause of death and disease globally,” said Sekwaila. He also highlighted that vulnerable groups, such as women, children, and the elderly, are disproportionately affected by air pollution, which further impacts ecosystems.
“We’re excited to welcome Johannesburg to Breathe Cities and to work with the city to ensure cleaner, healthier air for all,” said Jaime Pumarejo, Executive Director of Breathe Cities. “By joining our global initiative, Johannesburg has taken their place alongside ambitious cities from around the world, from London to Jakarta, who are taking action to cut air pollution. We aim to save lives and address the climate emergency by collaborating with the City of Joburg and local communities.”
The Breathe Cities launch is a key event during Johannesburg’s Clean Air Week, which underscores the importance of combating air pollution. Clean Air Week features a series of community-focused activities aimed at promoting cleaner air and raising awareness about air quality issues. Events include community and school activations, as well as a visit to an Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station and a celebration commemorating the International Day for Clean Air for Blue Skies.
