Greening the Future

• Published date: 30 November 2020
• Author: Special Reports
• Publication title: Mail & Guardian: Web Edition Articles (Johannesburg, South Africa)

In 1998, the Mail & Guardian launched this supplement, Greening the Future. This was near the end of a big decade for sustainability, with the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and the Kyoto Protocol on climate change in 1997. In a newly-free South Africa, there was hope that we could create a better world.

Creating that world would be the work of individuals, groups, government and companies.

The intro to those first awards noted that they "are aimed at recognising these new trends and rewarding those companies, organisations and individuals who, by investing in the environment, are investing in our future".

Our awards would therefore be a way of encouraging this progress, of celebrating those who wake up every day and work to make this country a better, more sustainable place.

In big picture terms, it feels like we have not gone far since then. South Africa remains, per person, the 14th highest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world. Eskom continues to dominate our pollution landscape, both poisoning the communities where coal power plants work and the wider world with greenhouse gasses.

We are still locked into a dangerous level of climate change. The world heating at deadly levels. Ecosystems are collapsing. The natural world is in freefall because we have changed so much, so quickly. That pollution is aided by non-compliant corporations which might have greased the palms of some government officials to continue with business-as-usual. And all of this, has caused numerous types of ailments, while threatening our future well-being.

After Covid-19, it does seem like 2020 is a really bleak time for us, and our planet. But in the midst of the lockdown nature began to breathe again. As we slowed down, the world literally, started shaking less. Pollution decreased. Rivers became healthier. We breathed cleaner air. This came at a vast human cost. It is, all the same, a sign of what we could do.

The projects and individuals that we have awarded for over two decades are all showing us the way. This year's finalists and winners give us, if we listen to them, a blueprint for a more sustainable world.

That's something we all want.

Sipho Kings, Acting editor-in-chief, Mail & Guardian

FOCUS PILLARS

Agribusiness

With deep care for the industry that nourishes us all, these finalists are dedicated to improving the ways in which farming is conducted at a large or small scale.

Clean Air & the quality of life

Using environmental edu-cation and activism as a vehicle for social change, finalists in this category are improving the status of humans and the natural environment alike.

Forests

Placing their efforts in preserving and restoring the natural world, finalists in this category are dedicated to the cause of enabling plant life to flourish – for the good of all species.

Oceans and waterways

Dedicated to protecting one of earth's most precious resources and the complex ecosystems that exist within it, these finalists fight to preserve safe, clean water for all.

Sustainable Design

Producing innovation that applies their research or their own lived experience, finalists in this category create products that enable others to live more sustainably with minimal effort.

Urban Spaces

Whether by rehabilitating city and rural environments with everyday actions or by starting at the beginning and creating new spaces from scratch, these finalists seek to build more liveable, sustainable environments.

Criteria

What we looked for as we chose this year's list

Care: We sought finalists whose efforts towards sustainability and a greener future stem from genuine care for the world around them. Of course, there's no positive or negative test for a sentiment, but we aimed to identify those whose work for the environment considers the wellbeing of all those around them, and above all does not cause harm in one area in the process of doing good in another.

Holistic Solutions: Projects that particularly impressed us were those which recognised that sustainability is an issue that permeates many aspects of our everyday life – and planned their interventions accordingly. Many of this year's finalists stood out by creating a secondary benefit, be it job creation or improved everyday efficiency, in the process of addressing an environmental problem.

Results: We considered individuals, organisations and projects that have already achieved measurable results. Every attempt to care for our planet in small or great acts is valuable. Projects selected for our list needn't be operating at a great scale. We chose to celebrate those endeavours that are at a particularly promising stage of their development.

Efficiency: Sheer hard work and determination will always prove impressive. Ideas that make helping out a little easier hold particular value in the context of sustainability. We prioritised projects in which far-reaching effects can be achieved by enabling sustainable choices in everyday life.

Innovation: In seeking this year's finalists, we aimed to identify those whose approach to environmentalism is distinctive, smart, and original. "Making a plan" in the face of unprecedented circumstances has been something of a theme this year, and taking an innovative approach to old problems will stand us all in good stead for the future.

Staying Power: Recognising that the fight for a greener world is not one that may be resolved overnight, we attempted to identify finalists who are in it for the long run – to make a long-term difference, and to see them through. Some have already been around for decades, while others are just starting out.

Climate change initiatives offer the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) an opportunity to raise living standards for all

The City of Johannesburg Mayoral Committee has approved a city-wide Climate Action Plan, (CAP) with the objective of transitioning towards carbon neutrality and a resilient city by 2050. It is a long-term ambitious plan that seeks to contribute to the objectives of the City's Growth & Development Plan and the aspirations of the Paris Agreement.

To ensure implementation takes place, the plan has immediate, short- and medium-term planning and implementation horizons. The Plan demonstrate that climate change is not solely an environmental issue, but is inextricably linked to the challenges of eradicating poverty, accelerating service delivery and increasing inclusiveness. Climate change initiatives offer the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) an opportunity to raise living standards for all at a faster rate by following a low-carbon and resilience development path. There is also evidence that reducing inequality helps to drive better environmental outcomes.

The CAP seeks to accelerate implementation in the following 10 areas to reduce greenhouse gases and adapt to climate change:

* Ensuring affordable and clean energy — increasing the City's renewable energy uptake;

* Improving waste management — reducing and diverting municipal solid waste generation;

* Optimizing energy efficiency in buildings — maximising energy efficiency in new buildings, City-owned building and all buildings in the long run;

* Enabling next generation mobility, with a focus on providing access to safe, affordable and carbon-neutral transport;

* Improving water supply and treatment — reviewing energy usage and potential energy savings and opportunities;

* Ensuring water security — providing access to reliable water supply and sanitation services, and ensuring water security;

* Ensuring resilient human settlements — providing access to safe and sustainable open spaces, by increasing tree coverage;

* Managing flood and drought — enhancing early warning systems for climatic hazards;

* Ensuring resilient city infrastructure — upgrading urban stormwater infrastructure and urban planning; and

* Ensuring healthy communities — intensifying measures to improve the quality of air, green coverage and passive building cooling, and improving access to fresh food.

Why a climate change focus?

The CoJ is the hub for a large proportion of South Africa's economic activities such as mining, heavy industry, commercial enterprise, and subsequently increasing urban population. As a result, there is immense pressure on the receiving environment, impacting negatively on our climate and the quality of air we breathe. The following are some of the reasons why the City is focusing so strongly on climate change:

* To understand the imminent and inevitable impacts of climate change, their effect, and to identify areas and communities that are most vulnerable to those impacts;

* To manage and respond to climate change impacts by improving the City's resilience;

* To contribute towards a low carbon future in a just manner;

* To make a meaningful contribution towards the national and global climate targets under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as a responsible national and global citizen;

* To help in ensuring a green recovery of the City from the Covid-19 pandemic; and

* To demonstrate leadership.

These are some practical actions the City has been implementing to address climate change

Energy Efficient streetlights on M1 & M2 in Joburg (Grant funded by Dept. of Minerals Resources and Energy and implemented by City Power

Affordable clean energy

The City developed the Energy Plan during 2016-17 financial years, and it was approved by Council in 2017. Since approval the City embarked on implementing the promotion of projects that advocate for the efficient use of energy resources, for example Demand Side Management and Energy Efficiency.

Some of the projects implemented included:

Energy efficiency lighting programme: this location is along the M1, M2, Golden Highway, Corlette Drive, J Swart, Motsoaledi Nancefield road

The City has retrofitted over 5 000 street lights, through the replacement of High Pressure Sodium (HPS) rated 250W with Light Emitting Diodes (LED) rated 100W and 80W. These lights provide the same luminance and lux intensity, if not better than...