Solar Water Heating Projects
			Solar Water Heating (Urban)
			Biogas Project (rural)
			Biogas Project
			Biogas Project

WBCSD NGO
BASD Business
UNDP IGO
GEF IGO
IUCN IGO
IIEC IGO
Future Forests Business
KPMG Business

Africa is home to 400 million people living in abject poverty, with over 50% of the population existing on less than $1 per day. Global warming is yet another challenge for the continent: it will reduce the capacity to produce food by 30%, increase the risk of flooding and droughts, lead to mass migration, permanent loss of both land mass and species diversity.

Yet the most significant cause of global Climate Change is carbon emissions from the developed world. We’re about to redress that balance in a very direct manner.

Under the umbrella of the WSSD, The Johannesburg Climate Legacy (JCL) measures the CO2 emissions of the Summit (from aircraft flights to electricity used at the event itself). These emissions will be offset through investments in carbon-reducing sustainable projects across South Africa. Companies, individuals, governments can sponsor some of this ‘offset’ and, in so doing on this world stage, make one of the most important commitments in modern history to a sustainable future. In addition to the climate impact, the offset projects will have a massive and lasting impact on the sustainable development of local communities. Specifically, these benefits will include poverty alleviation, better educational opportunities, improvements to urban air quality, access to alternative sources of income and increased productivity.

JCL is the opportunity to demonstrate in a direct, practical and visible way that specific businesses support carbon responsibility, and that the Clean Development Mechanism can work well. By delivering a programme aimed at individuals, JCL has also the potential to pick up the climate change agenda with a mass market and bring about shift change in behaviours and attitudes of peoples around the world.

JCL will impact real projects and affect real lives, by positively influencing all three sustainable development drivers – social, environmental and economic. It will provide forever a blueprint for the mitigation of the environmental impacts of hosting large international conferences.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Deforestation: By supplying reliable, inexpensive access to clean energy sources, we can help to reduce the impact that the traditional use of biomass energy is having on the planet. This reduction in deforestation will help preserve biodiversity, protect against soil erosion and help to reduce the impact of climate change.

Local / household urban air quality: Many communities are dependent on heavily polluting sources of energy such as coal and charcoal. This has the largest impact on urban air quality and is the cause of many of the respiratory illnesses that are caused by air pollution. By reducing dependence on these types of fuels by introducing renewable / clean energy such as solar and wind power, quality of life can be improved and climate impact reduced.

Climate change: The primary cause of climate change is the emission of the greenhouse gas Carbon Dioxide. If emissions reductions can be achieved, the impact on the earth’s climate can be reduced. The primary sources of Carbon Dioxide are the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity and for transport. Switching to renewable sources of energy and maximizing the usage of energy-efficient public transport can reduce the climate change impact of activities.

ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Sustainable livelihoods: Access to clean and reliable sources of energy can increase and expand the opportunities for new income generating business opportunities and sustainable livelihoods.

Alternative incomes: Access to energy allows communities to be more productive and offers new opportunities for income generating activities. These may include the use of equipment such as computers, and equipment.

Increased productivity: Access to energy will allow the extension of the normal working day, and will allow people to use their time more effectively leading to an increase in productivity. There will also be increased economic equity in terms of access to adequate and affordable services

SOCIAL IMPACTS

Poverty Alleviation and Job Creation: Energy is fundamental to economic growth. Access to reliable energy sources can directly contribute to enterprise development and income generating activities. These include lighting to extend the possible working day, machinery to increase productivity and access to new business opportunities. Access to clean energy also cuts down the amount of time people (usually women) have to spend collecting biomass for cooking.

Education and equality for women: Access to energy frees women and girls to spend more time in education. Energy in schools allows the extension of time for learning and also provides power for machinery such as computers, TV’s and video’s. Access to education empowers women by providing them with the ability to work or start their own businesses.

Health: Open fires from coal charcoal cause indoor air pollution and affect the health of as many as 1 billion people worldwide. Studies have shown that women cooking indoors over fires suffer disproportionately from respiratory illness. Pregnant women have been shown to suffer from more miscarriages and smoke can also lead to premature deaths. In India an estimated 500,000 people a year people die prematurely from causes related to indoor air-pollution.

The aim of the JCL is to fund sustainable energy projects that offset or negate the environmental impacts of WSSD.

The estimated footprint is 500,000 tonnes of co2.

The estimated target to reach is raising $5,000,000 to offset all emission and declare WSSD Carbon Neutral.

The scheme is being verfied by KPMG.

This project could be replicated for all UJ conferences in the future.

The mechanism could be used throughout the developing world to fund sustainable energy project.

To be sucessful all delegates need to get involved and offset their emissions.

Such a scheme has nver been attempted on such a scale, and with such a multi-stakeholder and partnership approach.

The scheme is being championed by UNDP and it is hoped that the legacy or learning and knowledge will be adpopted for all UN meetings in the future.

The Partnership of NGO´s business, government and IGO´s and civil society is an excellent example of a type II partnership and has been recognised by the UN.

The concept has been championed by WBCSD, Eskom, Anglo American and Future Forests.

Future Forests are campaign Managers.

IUCN are running the Secratariat and chairing the governing body.

IIEC are chairing the technical working group examining the projects that have been submitted for funding.