Durban - A massive climate awareness programme will be rolled out to educate South Africans on climate change, the national department of environmental affairs said on Wednesday.
“This is to demonstrate that as a developing country we are willing to contribute in awareness,” said the department's acting deputy director of general climate change Peter Lukey.
He was speaking at the second international transport of dangerous goods and environment conference held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre, in Durban, on Wednesday.
He said the campaign's aim was to communicate to the average South African on climate change.
The department would also promote awareness through the United Nations Convention on Climate Change Conference to be held in Durban in December.
“We have to build up awareness. We will use the event to do this. The process on the campaign is currently being designed. We will be launching the campaign around June,” he said.
“The campaign will run across TV, radio. Not a couple of seconds. We will be having mini-dramas on community radio stations and print adverts.”
Lukey told delegates that transport contributed to 13 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and was the fastest growing contributor.
He said South Africans need to be educated on the importance of taking public transportation.
“Using railway is far more effective in reducing carbon rather than driving cars with big engines.”
He said since 1990, carbon emissions in South Africa had risen by 55 percent.
“We have to start changing the way we live and think. In the 1950s South Africa was leading in solar systems. We have become an embarrassment.”
Lukey said the people not emitting carbon were more vulnerable to climate change.
“By 2100, 60 percent of the country will have weather that is unknown and vegetation unknown if we don’t reach an international agreement on carbon,” he said.
The country had huge potential on solar energy.
“We have to be courageous there are opportunities if we think laterally.”
The conference started on Tuesday and ends on Thursday. - Sapa