In response to the challenges posed by climate change, the South African government has developed strategic frameworks in order to guide national, provincial and local government interventions. Some of the key strategies include the National Strategy for Sustainable Development and Action Plan (NSSD), the National Development Plan (NDP), the National New Growth Path (NGP) and the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), and the Green Economy Accord. Metropolitan municipalities are the focus of the study because of their central role, both as contributors to the climate change problem as well as their potential as solutions to the challenge. Because most of the nation's industrial activities are also located in these metros, they are largely responsible for the high carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. At the same time, their legislative status in terms of their being one of the three spheres of government empowers the