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The WWF Nedbank Green Trust's Proactive Climate Change Projects
We constantly hear about climate change and about the life-or-death threat to our survival if we don’t collectively do something about it, including reducing our carbon emissions and developing a green economy.
So what is the WWF Nedbank Green Trust doing about it on a practical level in South Africa? Plenty, we are proud to say. A few of the many climate change projects we are funding are discussed here.
Necessary green goals
To lay the foundation for South Africa’s practical transition to a lower carbon, climate-resilient economy, the WWF Nedbank Green Trust is funding a climate change response flagship programme.
‘We are partnering with government on this to integrate and mainstream the many green economy development plans and programmes within government departments, such as energy, trade, agriculture, water and health,’ explains the Head of WWF’s Living Planet Unit, Saliem Fakir.
‘It’s extremely important as it is all about developing policy instruments that can be practically implemented by citizens and business in South Africa to bring down our carbon emissions.’
Energy and renewable power
Certain key climate change programmes are already well on their way in South Africa. To date, approximately 4000megawatts (MW) have been allocated to independent renewable power producers who will feed into the national grid and contribute to South Africa’s current 40 000MW energy requirement. Approximately 1000MW are already online, with more being added every year.
Power supplied by independent renewable power producers will increase to 19 000MW by 2030 when South Africa’s energy requirements will be an estimated 66 000 – 70 000MW.
‘In the near future energy efficient houses will be the norm at every level of the housing spectrum,’ says Fakir, adding that the price of quality solar panels prices will soon come down in South Africa. A solar panel production plant is currently being established in Paarl, in partnership with German investors.
Low carbon transport
Another major carbon footprint-focused programme is the WWF Nedbank Green Trust Transport Low-Carbon Frameworks Programme, headed by Louise Naudé.
To reduce the carbon footprint on South Africa’s major road corridors, this project is looking at shifting the transport of processed foods (such as tinned foods) from road to rail.
‘Processed foods are the commodity group with the highest freight carbon footprint on South Africa’s major road corridors: the Gauteng-Cape Town corridor and the Gauteng-Durban corridor,’ Naudé explains.
‘We are currently working on solving the many logistical issues involved in such a shift, with considerable input from processed food companies, logistics companies, road freight operators, labour and Transnet. Fortunately there is great willingness all round to work with us on the project,’ says Naudé. ‘If we can achieve this, the benefits to the economy, to climate change mitigation and water use are considerable.’
Water will be highly valued
Freshwater is a key issue in the climate change matrix, with increased water scarcity in many parts of the world posing a major threat to communities and economies.
Accordingly, freshwater is increasingly being treated as highly valuable resource.
Freshwater conservation has been a priority for the WWF Nedbank Green Trust since its inception. One of several key water projects that it has funded since 2002 is the Enkangala Grassland Project area - a high water production area for South Africa, spanning 1.6-million hectares of grasslands between KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Free State.
Here, you will find the headwaters of the Vaal, Tugela, Usuthu and Pongola Rivers, which provide clean, potable water for Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu Natal. Without this water South Africa’s economy cannot survive.
Angus Burns, Programme Manager for the Enkangala Grassland Project, has headed this project from the outset. Burns and his team, including Ayanda Nzimande and Sam Mnguni, are based in the region. They have been intensively working with government, farmers, landowners, land restitution communities and conservation organisations to conserve the grasslands, secure water production, encourage sustainable livestock farming practices and to influence government to demarcate this and other priority water production regions as ‘No Go’ mining zones.
Two million water users along the Pongola
Another major WWF Nedbank Green Trust water project is focused on the 230km Pongola River and catchment, which has more than two million water users along its course, from source to sea. Users include forestry, farmers (predominantly livestock, sugar cane and fruit), agri-industry, towns and rural communities.
‘The Pongola River and its headwater is part of the critical 8% of South African landscapes that provide more than 50% of our country’s fresh water,’ explains Christine Colvin, Senior Manager of WWF’s Freshwater Programme, who is supervising the project.
This project, like all WWF Nedbank Green Trust projects, combines conservation with community engagement. A high percentage of financially impoverished people live in the Pongola catchment, without water services or sanitation. Many people still have to fetch their daily water from the river and use the bush or river as a toilet. This puts them at risk to a range of water-borne diseases, including cholera and dysentery, and creates a situation where the river water can test for unacceptably high levels of fecal matter and E. coli bacteria.
‘With this project we are collectively addressing water security, health and sanitation. We are looking at introducing basic water filters and appropriate water treatment methods at the village or household scale,” says Colvin.
Greening of social housing
Also at the household level, the WWF Nedbank Green Trust is funding a ‘greening of social housing’ project. In partnership with the National Social Housing Association, a pilot green retrofit is being done on five ageing social housing apartment blocks in Brooklyn (near Milnerton), Cape Town, called ‘Boom Flats’. In addition, a pilot new green build is planned for Gauteng.
The retrofit includes solar geysers, building insulation, water-wise installations (e.g. showers, dual-flush mechanisms and showerheads), wall-panel heaters that use minimal electricity and certain infrastructural changes, such as a window on a north-facing wall for more light and warmth.
All products used in the retrofit are quality-approved and they enhance warmth and comfort for the tenants while reducing their monthly costs.
Green is about holistically empowering people
‘Greening is about holistically empowering people to improve the quality of their lives,’ explains project coordinator Jocelyn Muller who is leading the tenant engagement side of this initiative to help tenants understand the benefits of living green.
‘In addition to the technical issues, there are so many other green issues that we are addressing, including the amount of chemical detergents the tenants use and the type of food they eat. One of the tenants has established a vegetable garden, and his now giving vegetables to his neighbours.
‘An important part of greening is the community connect,' Muller explains. 'Many people in Boom Flats have never met their fellow tenants even though they have all lived there for years. Sharing and developing a sense of community is all part of greening.’
© Heather Dugmore
Enkangala Grasslands - a key water production region