JUST SA Gauteng — Is'haaq Akoon

In this episode of the TIPS Podcast series, host Nothembi Mahlangu speaks with Is’haaq Akoon, Senior Manager for Climate Change at the City of Ekurhuleni, about how municipalities can translate climate policy into practical implementation through integrated planning, community-centred development, and Just Transition strategies. Akoon reflects on the key lessons from a recent Just Transition and Green Economy training programme, highlighting the importance of aligning national and provincial policy frameworks with local government implementation. The discussion explores how the City of Ekurhuleni is embedding Just Transition principles into its Climate Action Plan, with a focus on social protection, skills development, labour reskilling, and inclusive community participation.The conversation also examines major municipal challenges linked to economic restructuring, unemployment, informal labour vulnerability, and fragmented policy coordination, particularly in sectors connected to mining, manufacturing, transport, and waste management. At the same time, Akoon identifies significant opportunities in public transport expansion, waste-to-energy projects, recycling initiatives, methane reduction, health infrastructure upgrades, and pilot projects that can serve as “learning labs” for scaling future interventions.Throughout the episode, Akoon emphasises the importance of collaboration between municipalities, academia, private sector stakeholders, and institutions such as the Presidential Climate Commission to ensure that local climate action is evidence-based, coordinated, and capable of supporting a truly just and climate-resilient transition.