The University of Cape Town (UCT) is Africa’s leading research university, consistently in the top 200 in international university rankings. The African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) established in 2011 to support interdisciplinary research and teaching on low carbon and climate resilient development, coordinates climate research at the University. With a strong African and Global South perspective, the ACDI leverages the intellectual capital of 20+ academic departments and research centres at UCT to create the largest concentration of expertise in climate and development through collaborative research and training. Expertise is concentrated in four key areas: (i) mitigation; (ii) vulnerability, impacts and adaptation; (iii) climate science; and (iv) sustainable development.