By Foday Moriba Conteh
Freetown Mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, served as the keynote speaker at the C40 Cities Southeast Asia Regional Academy on September 6, 2024. The event, hosted by Quezon City Mayor, Joy Belmonte, brought together city leaders from across Southeast Asia, including representatives from Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, alongside C40 Cities Advisors from the region and Freetown.
As Co-Chair of C40 Cities, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr highlighted the critical role of inclusive climate action during sessions focused on gender inclusivity, climate finance, youth engagement and multilateral cooperation. She also shared insights from various C40 Cities’ initiatives in addressing the global climate crisis, including efforts in Freetown.
“Peer learning is an essential and effective element of C40 Cities’ operational framework,” Mayor Aki-Sawyerr noted. She was accompanied by her Freetown C40 Cities team members Pius Nishimwe, Sallieu Kanu and Fatmata Kanyako, who participated in the discussions and gained valuable insights into climate solutions implemented in other cities.
A highlight of the event was Quezon City’s urban farming model, which has successfully established around 1,300 urban farms in diverse locations such as police stations and former illegal dumpsites. This initiative addresses food insecurity, improves city greening and provides livelihoods, all while combating the impacts of climate change. Mayor Aki-Sawyerr expressed interest in learning from Quezon City’s model as Freetown seeks to scale up its own urban farming interventions.
During her visit to the Philippines, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr experienced extreme weather events, including a typhoon, monsoon rains and a mild earthquake. Schools in the region were closed for three consecutive days, underscoring the urgent need for climate action and the resources cities require to address such challenges.
The Mayor extended her gratitude to Mayor Belmonte for her hospitality and leadership and was honored with the symbolic Key to Quezon City as a token of appreciation.
