BURN, BABY BURN! Climate action to cool our planet

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Missing in action: Almost every country made the commitment to try to keep global warming well below 2 deg C, but are these ambitious goals ‘all talk and no action’ and what does it mean for hot South Afica?

IIT’S A RACE against time to save the planet and help keep small islands from disappearing underwater completely.

A stagnant economy and the impact of Covid-19 have worsened socio-economic challenges of inequality, poverty, and unemployment in South Africa. This leaves businesses, communities and municipalities struggling and increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of both physical risks posed by climate change, as well as to transition risk as global trading partners switch building to low carbon economies.

However, if you crunch the numbers, low-carbon investments make good business sense. The Paris Agreement’s formal goal is to stay “well below” 2 deg of warming. That’s based on political negotiations and scientific research that models the increasingly harmful effects rising temperatures will have on today’s economies, agriculture and environment. Climate change is not the primary priority for most countries – though it is an existential crisis for some, including some small-island states, and one that needs to be acknowledged and built in to the goals and planning. The international community will also need to support countries that need assistance. To this end, Alliances for Climate Action South Africa (Aca SA) is a network of

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committed organisations working together – with each other, and with local and national government – to collectively achieve a net carbon-neutral economy for South Africa by 2050. Aca SA has in its fold 25 local governments, investors, and companies across South Africa that have come together to pursue net-zero emissions in their country by 2050.

THE organisation’s main focus is to develop a road map for transitioning to cleaner energy and carbon neutrality in the next 30 years, and it is dedicated to driving ambitious climate action, increasing public support for addressing the climate crisis, and engaging national governments to decarbonise faster. These national alliances are unique because they include a diversity of voices representing leaders from nearly every sector of society, including academic and cultural institutions, tribal organisations and faith communities, healthcare institutions, and civil society.

“We are acting now to create a future that is low-carbon and climate-resilient, and inclusive for all who live in South Africa,” says Aca SA on their website.

You can sign up to join “this network of forward-thinking businesses taking climate action individually and collectively to unlock opportunity for investment”. For more information check out www.alliancesforclimateaction.co.za