24 October 2011
In the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference starting in Durban on 28 November, the City of Johannesburg is launching an awareness campaign to educate residents about the issue of climate change.
The awareness campaign, a partnership between the City of Johannesburg and Siemens, will begin in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, on Monday
The 24th of October is International Day of Climate Action, and activities geared towards heightening awareness and education about the causes of climate change and its impact on ecosystems and human livelihood will be held all over the world.
According to a City spokesperson Nkosinathi Nkabinde, the campaign will be spread across the city over the next weeks, running through to the beginning of COP 17.
The 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) takes place at Durban’s International Convention Centre from 28 November to 9 December.
Tree planting
“City officials will interact with members of the community in Orange Farm and plant a number of orange trees to commemorate the occasion,” said Nkabinde.
The officials will also stop at strategic points with a high concentration of people, like local markets and taxi ranks, to engage with the public and distribute pamphlets on how they can get involved in mitigating change.
“The city is undergoing climate change and is not exempt from the negative impacts. It is expected that the temperatures will rise by two to three degrees Celsius in future, depending on the season of the year.”
Rainfall was also expected to intensify, resulting in flooding in many parts of Johannesburg. Energy efficient bulbs will be installed by City Power officials in many households as part of the campaign.
Source: City of Johannesburg
