The second phase of the Workshop on Planning for Greener Cities and South-South Cooperation for African Mayors, the Eco-environmental Technology Workshop on Africa Sustainable City Construction 2015 was held during 18-20 October in Tongji University, Shanghai, China. The workshop had 20 participants from African countries, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Sudan. The participants are mayors, general managers, experts and engineers from African countries. The Mayor of Arba Minch City (Ethiopia), the Mayor of Hawassa City (Ethiopia), the Mayor of Lilongwe City (Malawi) and the Deputy Governor of Gedarf State (Sudan).

        This Workshop is hosted by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, organized by UNEP-Tongji IESD with support from the United Nations Environment Programme, the College of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tongji University and Hubei University of Economics.

        The first phase of Workshop on Planning for Greener Cities and South-South Cooperation for African Mayors was successfully held in March 2015. As the follow up of the first workshop in March, this session focuses on the experience-sharing between China and Africa on green city development. During the 3-day event, experts and scholars conduct a comprehensive discussion on such subjects as Contemporary Sino-African Relations, Global Cities Competitiveness and Sustainable Urbanization, Shanghai Green City Planning, Waste Water Treatment and Resource Recovery, Solid Waste Management in Shanghai and so on. Site visits, including the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, was also held for the participants to get a deep understanding on the master plan as well as the infrastructure development and cultural conservation of Shanghai.

        The workshop further consolidated the important contribution that cities could make to the transition to an inclusive and Green Economy through sustainable city planning process. Through the workshop, African Mayors and Senior City Planners discussed the key aspects of greener city planning, presented some of the key experiences and lessons from Chinese and African cities on greener city planning, and promoted South-South Cooperation between African and Chinese cities.