City of Cape Town appoints a Chief Heat Officer, the first in SA

As extreme weather events accelerate, summers are getting hotter in many parts of the world.

And the City of Cape Town has announced the appointment of a Chief Heat Officer - a first for South Africa.

Albert Ferreira, manager for Resilience and Climate Change, will take on this role to champion awareness around heat and extreme heat events expected to increase in frequency due to climate change.

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Cape Town became a member of the international City Champions for Heat Action (CCHA) initiative in 2024 to amplify awareness of the city's heat risks and advance its heat response work with global partners.

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The appointment builds on Cape Town's Beat the Heat programme, introduced during the summer of 2024.

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