Turning city climate commitments into public pressure for cleaner air in Africa
Turning city climate commitments into public pressure for cleaner air in Africa
C40 Cities
C40 Cities
1 min read
1 min read
Air pollution is one of Africa’s deadliest environmental threats – the second-leading cause of death in Africa, responsible for an estimated 1.1 million deaths annually. Yet it remains largely invisible in public discourse.
Ahead of the C40 Africa Summit, 10 African cities – Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra, Dakar, Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Freetown, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane – committed to clean air action, but these pledges risked remaining technical agreements without public scrutiny or follow-through.
Air pollution is one of Africa’s deadliest environmental threats – the second-leading cause of death in Africa, responsible for an estimated 1.1 million deaths annually. Yet it remains largely invisible in public discourse.
Ahead of the C40 Africa Summit, 10 African cities – Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra, Dakar, Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Freetown, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane – committed to clean air action, but these pledges risked remaining technical agreements without public scrutiny or follow-through.
Building City-Level Accountability
Gatefield translated the issue of air quality and the technical declarations into public-facing narratives around health, mobility, and survival that citizens could understand and act on. Working with city leadership across Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra, Dakar, Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Freetown, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane, we developed multilingual communication systems that turned climate commitments into accessible public language across English, French, and Amharic.
Building City-Level Accountability
Gatefield translated the issue of air quality and the technical declarations into public-facing narratives around health, mobility, and survival that citizens could understand and act on. Working with city leadership across Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Accra, Dakar, Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Freetown, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane, we developed multilingual communication systems that turned climate commitments into accessible public language across English, French, and Amharic.
We convened journalists across seven countries, connecting them directly with mayors, technical experts, and health voices. At the same time, civic and climate actors amplified city commitments through their own networks, extending accountability beyond formal institutions into public discourse.
We convened journalists across seven countries, connecting them directly with mayors, technical experts, and health voices. At the same time, civic and climate actors amplified city commitments through their own networks, extending accountability beyond formal institutions into public discourse.
Coordinated media engagement and cross-country storytelling through our trust navigators turned clean air commitments into public benchmarks. This meant cities were no longer just announcing action but they were being actively watched, reported on, and questioned by the public and media.
Coordinated media engagement and cross-country storytelling through our trust navigators turned clean air commitments into public benchmarks. This meant cities were no longer just announcing action but they were being actively watched, reported on, and questioned by the public and media.
MEDIA IMPRESSIONS
MEDIA IMPRESSIONS
CLEAN AIR COVERAGE GENERATED
CLEAN AIR COVERAGE GENERATED
COUNTRIES WHERE CLEAN AIR WERE MADE VISIBLE
COUNTRIES WHERE CLEAN AIR WERE MADE VISIBLE
STATE IMPLEMENTED ELECTRIC TRANSIT PILOTS IN LINE WITH COMMITMENTS
STATE IMPLEMENTED ELECTRIC TRANSIT PILOTS IN LINE WITH COMMITMENTS
READ MORE INSIGHTS
READ MORE INSIGHTS
READ MORE INSIGHTS
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