Thursday marks the fifth anniversary of the signing of the global Paris Agreement on climate change where hundreds of nations agreed to targets to reduce its impact.
To mark the occasion, the Alliance for Climate Action South Africa is hosting a Twitter chat to discuss what actions to take to make for a better future.
The Alliance for Climate Action South Africa is a network of committed organisations working together to collectively achieve a net zero-carbon economy for South Africa by 2050.
In a statement it said “the need to respond to the changing climate is as urgent now as it was in 2015, and the milestone offers an opportunity to pause and reflect”.
Read the latest Simply Green digital magazine below
“The science tells us that we need to stay well below 1.5 degrees of warming. To do this we need to ensure “net zero” emissions by 2050 or we will face widespread unlivable conditions. The impacts of wildfires, droughts and floods are already showing up far too frequently in our news feeds.
"Both businesses and cities are creating climate action plans to prepare for the climate impacts and build climate resilience considering the reliance on ecosystem services and raw materials essential to the supply of goods and services," it said.
The Alliance for Climate Action believes a shift to a low-carbon economy could be a game-changer.
‘‘We are acting now to create a future that is low-carbon and climate-resilient, positive for our economy, and inclusive for all who live in South Africa. We call on companies, cities and others to work together to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in South Africa by 2050.’’
The Twitter chat will focus on whether business, government and individuals are doing enough to tackle climate change and environmental crises which compromise our health and that of the entire planet.
The Twitter chat takes place between noon and pm on Thursday, co-hosted by @NBISA @c40cities and @WWFSouthAfrica.