SAIA joins Commonwealth architects’ call to government ahead of CHOGM 2026 and COP31

From the President, Arch. Monique Gillespie

SAIA has written to two Cabinet Ministers asking South Africa to put cities and the built environment at the heart of its positions at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2026) and the UN climate conference (COP31) this November.

Dear Colleagues,

On 23 October I wrote, on behalf of SAIA, to Mr Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, and to Mr Willie Aucamp, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Each letter enclosed a briefing note on sustainable urbanisation for the meeting that Minister’s department leads.

Our message is simple. The Commonwealth’s climate and development commitments will succeed or fail in its cities, and in the buildings, plans, codes and skills that shape them. Architects can help deliver them, and we would like government to draw on our profession as it does.

A Commonwealth-wide initiative

The letters are part of a coordinated initiative by the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), of which SAIA is a member. Institutes across the Commonwealth are briefing their own governments ahead of CHOGM in Antigua and Barbuda (1–4 November) and COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye (9–20 November). The CAA will bring the national submissions together for the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction.

The case is compelling. Cities produce more than 70% of global emissions and around 80% of GDP. The Commonwealth’s urban population is expected to double to two billion between 2020 and 2050, with 95% of that growth in Africa and Asia, much of it in secondary cities with the least capacity to manage it. And the buildings we put up today will still be standing in 2070.

Commonwealth leaders have already committed to act, through the Declaration on Sustainable Urbanisation adopted in Kigali in 2022. The Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Coalition, launched in 2025 by the CAA with the Commonwealth’s planners, engineers, universities and local government bodies, now has practical tools ready to help turn that commitment into delivery.

What we asked for

For CHOGM, we asked South Africa to support language in the Leaders’ communiqué recognising sustainable urbanisation as central to the Commonwealth Strategic Plan 2025–2030, to welcome the work of the Sustainable Cities Coalition, and to consider how South African cities might take part in its next phase.

For COP31, we asked the delegation to give visible support to the Resilient Cities and the Built Environment thematic day on 12 November, and to treat building codes, urban resilience, planning reform and local government capacity as core measures in South Africa’s climate commitments, with climate finance reaching cities.

Here South Africa has real experience to offer. Our energy-efficiency requirements for buildings, SANS 10400-XA and SANS 204, are the kind of code many fast-growing Commonwealth countries are still working towards.

In both letters we also asked government to involve the built environment professions, universities and local government as it prepares for these meetings and follows through afterwards.

How SAIA will contribute

We have offered to share the profession’s perspective through government’s consultation channels, and to make the CAA’s technical briefing material available to officials. After the meetings, we will help government connect with the Coalition’s tools and expertise, and use our regional institutes and CPD programme to carry that knowledge to practitioners.

We have been careful to shape this offer around what SAIA can sustain well. Janet Saaiman, our Immediate Past President, and our CEO, Dr Peta de Jager, met the CAA on 9 October to agree how best we could take part. Our contribution draws on the CAA’s technical support and works within SAIA’s existing resources. Rather than convening events or programmes ourselves, we will encourage our members and partners to take part through the channels that already exist. This lets SAIA add its voice with confidence and keep its commitments realistic.

How you can contribute

This work really begins after Antigua and Antalya, when government turns commitments into policy. The profession’s voice will matter most then, and that voice is yours.

• Share your experience. If you have worked with SANS 10400-XA or SANS 204, on climate-resilient or informal settlement projects, or with municipalities on planning and delivery, we hope to engage with you in our discussion forums.

• Watch Policy Watch. We will flag related government consultations in the Policy Watch section of News & Views.

Please send your experience, ideas or questions to Dr Peta de Jager at ceosaia@saia.org.za. The full briefing notes are available to members on request.

With warm regards,

Arch. Monique Gillespie

President, South African Institute of Architects