African Climate Reality Project. Image: Food & Trees For Africa
The African Climate Reality Project (ACRP) is focused on forming a coalition to work with national and local government entities, energy experts, environmental organisations, climate leaders and concerned citizens, many of whom are already working on a robust Plan B for South African energy.
Our Road to Paris campaign urges the South African negotiators to present our country agreement (INDC as it is called) on time and to achieve a fair and meaningful agreement in Paris.
It further aims for the achievable goal of reducing our carbon (or GHG) emissions by implementing 40% renewable energy (RE) by 2030.
The Road to Paris
In December this year a crucial meeting of world leaders, climate and environmental activists, business tycoons and fossil fuel lobbyists will meet in Paris. This meeting, the 21st UN Climate Change Conference, COP21, is crucial for us all, and for the future of all species on this planet Earth, our only home. Anyone who does not now know that current increasing temperatures and extreme weather events clearly indicate that we are heading for disaster, needs to inform themselves now and help those of us who have been working on developing awareness and action to mitigate this. We need world leaders to leave their apathy behind and take a strong lead to implement radical change.
COP21’s objective (21 meetings later!) is to finally achieve a legally binding universal agreement from all nations, to limit global temperature increase to only 2 degrees above pre industrial levels. Most agree that 2 degrees is not enough as it is generally accepted that we are already heading for a dangerous 4 to 6 degree increase.
Nevertheless, scientists and nations have been asked to present their written climate 2 degree agreement goals to the UNCCC by April this year, in preparation for reaching consensus at the Paris meeting.
Al Gore, Chairman of the Climate Reality Project, working with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, has selected South Africa as one of eight focal countries (USA, South Africa, China, Brazil, India, the Philippines, Canada, and Australia) in The Road to Paris campaign. These countries are deemed most crucial to the international climate negotiations and whose decisions about carbon emissions reduction can influence many other countries around the world.
In South Africa this relates to our reliance on obsolete coal-fired energy, and our ability to lead with low carbon energy. This is appropriate and timely given the current energy crisis with South Africans experiencing regular “loadshedding” or rolling blackouts.
The Road to Paris campaign aims to create momentum for a global commitment with grassroots action on the ground. The campaign is designed to achieve targeted results in each focal country, largely by working through mid and high-level leaders in those nations and by building support through targeted media campaigns.
We call on you to help us to grow our social media following, to post Road to Paris information on your own platforms and share our messages as widely as possible.
We need to align messaging this year to define positioning, maximise public understanding and apply pressure on, or give support to, climate negotiators in Paris.
Live Earth
Yes the fantastic Live Earth concert is back, and South Africa will host it in the Durban Botanical Gardens on 18 June. Watch this space for the line up of top artists who will perform for climate change and the planet.
Live Earth is calling on a billion people around the globe to sign a simple pledge: TAKE CLIMATE ACTION NOW! Join as a Friend of Live Earth here and sign the pledge.
Solidarity March
The major global Road to Paris day of action will take place in November. ACRP hopes to get all sectors of society onto the streets of South Africa to call for real action in Paris. More on this soon.
Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) will host several Road to Paris Green Drinks events this year with speakers from government, business and civil society. The first one will be held on 21 May at the FTFA Khaya in Sandton.
Join the coalition
ACRP invites you to join, tell them about your Road to Paris plans and activities, your hopes and asks of government and your followers so that they can support your efforts, enhance advocacy and mutually boost all our efforts. Contact climate@trees.org.za to meet, Skype or chat.
There is power in working together and we will all benefit if we can get a strong South African agreement in Paris.
- Download the Climate Coalition Petition here.
Source: African Climate Reality Project
Leave a Reply or Follow