COP17/CMP7 Greening Programme

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1 - Introduction

The COP17/CMP7 Greening Programme has been established with the goal of hosting a low carbon event as well as minimising the events’ ecological footprint. It is a collaborative effort involving practically every role-player in the event itself and activities leading up to the event. The process is a shared one with the eThekwini Municipality taking responsibility for local greening initiatives such as event venues and the accommodation sector, as well as determining and offsetting the local carbon footprint.

The Department of Environmental Affairs is responsible for the national carbon footprint and greening of events leading up to COP17/CMP7, the CCR Expo and associated side-events, as well as areas or components that require national co-ordination such as Safety and Security and Transportation. There is a close working relationship amongst the different spheres of government to ensure the successful execution of the COP17/CMP7 Greening Programme.

2 - Greening Guidelines

Over the period of COP17/CMP7, a number of related events will be held in numerous venues. It is important that these venues, both inside and outside the ICC precinct, be provided with relevant information about how to green their events and facilities.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the eThekwini Municipality have developed guidelines to support the application of greening principles at events and venues, the CCR Expo and within the accommodation sector. They have also provided support to venue managers, event organisers and exhibitors on the application of the guidelines to their particular circumstances. This support has been both on an individual basis and through workshops and discussion forums.

Durban has developed a Green Event Guideline to provide event organisers with guidance to 'green' their events from the perspective of efficient resource use, adequate waste management and green procurement. This guideline is also a valuable tool in assisting Durban to position itself as a green eventing destination within a broader city events strategy.

DEA has also produced a condensed Event Greening Guideline as a generic resource that can be used by event organisers beyond COP17/CMP7. It addresses greening principles, objectives and practices that underline a green event. It was distributed to various events hosted around the country prior to COP17/CMP7.

An Exhibition Greening Guideline was also developed to encourage the curators managing and exhibitors participating in the CCR Expo to produce green exhibitions through a practical selection of greening actions. This was supported by the Responsible Exhibitor Charter that was signed by each exhibitor in combination with their formal contract.

An objective of hosting COP17/CMP7 is to “ensure that the procurement of goods and services is done in a sustainable manner, including the use of local products that have a minimal negative effect on the environment and to deliver increased performance of social responsibility”. The Department has therefore developed Green Procurement Guidelines that provide an outline of criteria that can be used when preparing for the procurement of goods and services.

3 - Venues and Accomodation

3.1 The Durban ICC - A Leading Green Convention Centre

The International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban has a sound reputation for its environmentally responsible practices and the following has been done in the lead up to COP17/CMP7:

Exceptional Environmental Management and Safety Systems: The ICC has a strong environmental vision and policy, and has recently obtained its ISO14001 certification. It will add this to its existing ISO9001, ISO22000 and OHSAS18001 certifications.

World class high tech green building: The ICC building is a world class, high tech design, which has incorporated green elements such as large glass facades for natural lighting, energy efficient light fittings and air conditioning systems, and indigenous landscaping. The ICC's gardens are populated predominantly with locally indigenous plant species, which result in limited need for landscape irrigation. The ICC's water-use profile is low for a building of its size, and it is currently rolling out upgrades to its ablution facilities, which include sensor taps for hand washing.

Building on-site food production: The ICC grows its own culinary herbs for use in its kitchen, which serves the majority of catering needs at the ICC. This initiative will be extended in the near future to include a wider variety of herbs, as well as vegetables.

Dedicated to waste reduction and recycling: The ICC focuses on minimising waste at source. Key interventions have included reducing the supply of bottled water for events and functions, favouring tap water filled jugs and water dispensers. This is made possible by the excellent quality for Durban’s tap water, which is completely safe and tasty to drink.

The ICC has a stringent waste separation policy, which aims to achieve the maximum possible volume of waste being sent for recycling. During the first half of 2011, more than 50% of the waste generated at the ICC and Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC) was recycled.

Leading in energy efficiency: The ICC and DEC buildings have recently undergone an energy efficiency retrofit, which includes the latest in lighting technology. This retrofit is anticipated to reduce the energy requirements of the complex by approximately 7% of the current total demand. 

Through a recent partnership project between the eThekwini Municipality, Philips Lighting Southern Africa, and Eskom, one hundred and fifty five (155) street lights in the ICC precinct have been retrofitted with energy efficient Iridium LED street lights.

3.2 Greening of the Climate Change Response Expo

The National Department of Environmental Affairs is organising a spectacular expo to bring to life the real way in which South Africa and other countries should be responding to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Apart from the riveting array of exhibitions and side-events, the way in which the Climate Change Response Expo (CCR Expo) has been organised promotes the most sustainable options available for an event of this kind.

A stand in the Forst Olive Marquee will showcase the greening of the CCR Expo, with live monitoring of energy usage and a map of the various green initiatives. Some of the highlights of the greening of the CCR Expo include:

Green Design and Energy Efficiency: Reduced energy use through thermal design and innovative features that reduce the extent of the need for air-conditioning. Energy efficient lighting will be used throughout the expo.

A Wild Banana Leaf canopy will provide shade across a large section of the CCR Expo. It is made from gum-poles that would have otherwise been thrown away, and Wild Banana leaves create the shady canopy. The production of the canopy will create some short term employment, and after the event the gum-poles will be used to create structural supports in dune rehabilitation projects while the leaves will be composted.

Green Procurement: Supply of environmentally friendly products for exhibitors (such as bamboo pull up banners and chloride free removable vinyl) and the networking marquees will be soundproofed with an exciting new product - environmentally-friendly, sound proof board called Magna Board. The cleaning company has committed to using environmentally friendly cleaning products only. Furthermore, keeping in line with the greening principle of sourcing everything locally, the organisers are using as many local KZN suppliers as possible.

Green Exhibitions: Green stand package options have been offered to exhibitors. These include LED lighting, reusable fabric branding and biodegradable carpeting. All other elements of the shell scheme – the aluminium frames, boards and furnishings, are reusable products supplied locally.

Water Management: Rainwater harvesting is being promoted through the installation of ten rainwater tanks and guttering to redirect water to these tanks. The rainwater will be used to water the CCR expo plant landscape.

Visitors to the expo will be encouraged to drink Durban’s Blue Drop certified potable water. There will be water coolers throughout the venue, with cool, clean drinking water filled from the taps. Recyclable plastic cups will be supplied to drink with, and these and the coolers will be branded with water conservation messaging – including facts about water scarcity, and how clean eThekwini’s drinking water is. The plastic cups will be recycled through our on-site waste management system.

Protecting and enhancing biodiversity: All plants used in the CCR Expo have been sourced locally and, after the event with the assistance of the eThekwini Municipality’s Parks Department, they will be donated to disadvantaged schools.

Waste Minimisation: Bottled water has been banned from the exhibition space.

Waste Re-use: This is being promoted by diverting unneeded branded substrates after the Expo to the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust where they are creatively re-crafted into various products by people affected / infected with HIV/AIDs. This project not only provides training in crafting but also results in job creation as the products can then be sold to generate an income.

Waste Recycling: Twin-bin systems will be available throughout the CCR Expo to encourage the recycling of recyclable consumer waste. Recyclable plastic cups will be supplied to drink with In addition; bins for biodegradable waste will be made available in the food areas and later used for compost. The waste management staff will sort recyclable waste on-site into the different waste streams and will be stored accordingly. The organic waste will go to an onsite worm farm and also to compost. A demo recycling area has been set up where visitors can see how the waste is sorted.

Sanitation: Two types of toilets will be used at the expo. Firstly, eThekwini Municipality has container toilets that will connect to the sewerage line on the southern side of the site. The second type of toilet is a mobile variety, which does not use formaldehyde in its chemical mix. Furthermore, some of these portaloos will also feature waterless urinals.

Socio-economic upliftment: The cleaning of the CCR Expo will be undertaken by unemployed women from local communities. They will receive training beforehand, and will earn money and acquire work experience while at the CCR Expo.

Education: Schools tours have been organised through Earth Organisation that will educate children about recycling, and take them to visit the recycling centre. The CCR Expo is funding disadvantaged schools to take these tours, while more privileged schools can attend at their own cost.

There will be six educational landscape displays with different KZN biomes on display – wetland, woodland, grassland, forest, dune and river. Additionally, the marquees have been named after different indigenous trees which will also be incorporated into the space.

Legacy: All the items that have been procured for the CCR Expo that have use of after the event such as the plants, the wheelie and recycling bins, and the carpeting will be distributed to public institutions in need.

For more information visit the CCR Expo website or download the CCR Expo Greening Fact Sheet.

3.3 Durban's Responsible Accommodation Campaign

EThekwini Municipality has identified the need to engage the private sector around the provision of "responsible" accommodation and meeting facilities as part of the COP17/CMP7 Greening Programme. At present, there are well above 500 accommodation facilities in the greater Durban area yet less than 5% of these are already certified / graded under one of the three prominent "responsible" or "green" tourism certification bodies in South Africa.

The National Department of Tourism (NDT) has recently facilitated a process whereby a "National Minimum Standard for Responsible Tourism" has been published through the South African Bureau of Standards (SANS 1162). This is a voluntary Standard that the NDT is promoting amongst all tourism businesses in South Africa. In the short term, the standard will be used to regulate the above (and additional emerging) responsible / green certification bodies through an accreditation process. In principle, the purpose of this process is to align all South Africa's tourism grading and certification systems towards a "responsible tourism" approach which encompasses:

• Sustainable Operations and Management
• Social and Cultural Criteria
• Economic Criteria
• Environmental Criteria

4 - Greening of Focal Areas

IThe following initiatives were also implemented in the lead up and execution of COP17/CMP7:

4.1 Ecological Footprinting

The calculation of the COP17/CMP7’s carbon footprint does not take into consideration the impacts of the increased consumption of other natural resources such as water, food and energy. Neither does it consider the impact on ecosystem services that are needed to supply these resources and take up the waste outputs. Therefore the eThekwini Municipality will develop and test a methodology for calculating the ecological footprint of COP17/CMP7. An ecological footprint provides an indication of the quantities of resources consumed or waste generated, as well as the demand that this consumption places on natural assets.

The results of this pilot will raise awareness of the full environmental impact of COP17/CMP7 and the types of interventions that would be needed to offset this and to prompt changes in behaviour from delegates at future events. This methodology will have legacy value beyond the COP and that it can be used in future by other event host cities as part of their greening programmes.

4.2 Intra-City Transport

Intra-City Transport emissions are estimated to be contributing to 15% of the event’s local carbon footprint. In order to minimise this, the transport plan for COP17/CMP7 has focused on providing sufficient public transport options for delegates travelling to and from the conference venue, and on providing non-motorised transport options close to the conference venue. Shuttles from King Shaka International Airport, transport from key 'pick-up points' to the ICC precinct, inner-city travel on Durban's 'People Mover' bus system, train travel and dedicated walk/cycle routes along the beachfront and to the ICC, are all components of the city's transport plan for the COP17/CMP7.
To promote the use of low carbon transport during COP17/CMP7, a project to supply 650 bicycles for the use of delegates and non-delegates has been implemented by eThekwini Municipality in association with KfW, Global Environment Facility, the United National Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Department of Transport. The key components of the project include:

1. The upgrade of cycle lanes with a focus on COP17 venues
2. A bicycle management system to facilitate hire and return of the bicycles, as well as maintenance of the bicycles
3. The procurement of 650 bicycles, of which 50 will be used by security along the beach front.

A sophisticated bicycle management system has been designed for managing the process of hiring out the bicycles, receiving returned bicycles, maintaining the bicycles and the management of the balance of bicycles between different sites. The system includes physical infrastructure to rack the bicycles.

eThekwini Municipality will extend the bicycle hire period till early January to provide bicycle hire services over the peak holiday season. They will also work with existing commercial bicycle hire companies to design a simple system to assist in the connecting up of the different hire systems so that clients can hire the bicycle at one site and return the bicycle at another site. The experiences of testing various systems and also investigating approaches used in other cities will ultimately lead to the design and implementation of a fully integrated system for bicycle hire throughout the city in the near future.

4.3 Safety and Security

The Safety and Security workstream has pledged to green its activities during the hosting of COP17/CMP7. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint and to promote the use of the NMT infrastructure, 50 police officials will use bicycles during the event to patrol the beach front.

Greening interventions are also anticipated for the National, Provincial and Venues Joint Operations Centres, including the promotion of tap water, recycling of general recyclables and specific re-use and recycling of paper. These interventions are likely to be scaled up post COP17/CMP7 as the various role-players undertake to explore the sustained greening of their operations. COP17/CMP7 has been an important starting point for the greening of safety and security through the awareness-raising programmes among these officials.

4.4 Waste Management

At major event venues, in the ICC precinct and the CCR Expo, and along the beachfront, recycling bins will be provided for waste separation at source. Within the ICC and CCR Expo, an eco-procurement approach will be utilised, which minimizes waste production. Furthermore, bottled water has been banned at both these venues, which will also minimise the amount of waste produced.

The Foodbank has also come on board to assist with the redistribution of left over food to the needy at all the main venues and will be on call for any additional events that can supply food.

The CCR Expo has a waste re-use programme in place that will ensure the distribution of post-expo exhibition materials to a community initiative for people affected by HIV/AIDS. These materials will be crafted into goods for sale as a source of income for these individuals. EThekwini municipality is also putting a waste re-use programme in place to ensure that event banners and other event waste with potential value from other side-events and venues are put into appropriate community waste re-use initiatives.

The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has ensured that the beaches are in a pristine condition through the EPWP-led Coastal Clean-Up Campaign extending from Umkomaas to Balito.

4.5 Water Management

The Department of Water Affairs implemented the Blue Drop Certification Programme in September 2008 to introduce incentive-based regulation of drinking water. Blue Drop Certification is an excellence award for sustainable drinking water quality management. EThekwini has been awarded a Blue Drop status in 2009 and 2010 and this means that its drinking water is of exceptional quality. The focus of the COP17/CMP7 from the perspective of water use is the promotion of the consumption of eThekwini’s tap water. There will be a number of events during the event to raise awareness it’s Blue Water Status. Harvested rainwater will mostly be used to water the plants at the CCR Expo.

4.6 Biodiversity Protection and Enhancement

There are several initiatives to enhance Durban’s biodiversity through the CEBA initiative (discussed below), the greening of the CCR Expo (discussed above) and the Beehive. The Province is also playing its role through its Million Trees Campaign.

In partnership with the DEA and eThekwini Municipality, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has conceptualised the Beehive. This is a large living art installation in the shape of a traditional Zulu Beehive hut being erected at the Durban Botanical Gardens with a smaller replica at the CCR Expo. The structure will be 10m in diameter and 5m high and made of stylized “living walls”, growing plant foliage and flowers. It features grassy textures that dominate the display to represent the all important grasslands biome of South Africa, supplemented by wetlands type vegetation. A water feature inside the structure provides a soothing element of movement and sound. Artifacts derived from natural resources that reflect traditional Zulu culture are subtly woven into the design. This structure will symbolize the links between natural systems and cultural values, and will resonate with South Africa’s growing practice of using ecosystem approaches to environmental management and ‘climate proofing’.

5 - Calculating the Carbon Footprint

As the host country to the COP17/CMP7, South Africa has undertaken to host a low-carbon event. An important aspect of this approach is the calculation of the carbon footprint in order to determine the overall impact of the event and work towards an efficient and focused carbon reduction and offset programme. 
It should be noted that there are three different components to the COP17/CMP7 carbon footprint:

1. The eThekwini Municipality has committed to measuring the local carbon footprint, with a focus on activities that are happening in the Durban geographical area during COP17/CMP7;
2. The National Government has committed to measuring the international travel footprint based on the UNFCCC registration list;
3. The National Government has committed to measuring the footprint of national events and activities initiated by national government in support of COP17/CMP7, such as the Climate Change Response Summits, the Climate Train and other events.

5.1 Methodology

The first pass carbon footprint estimate has been prepared using the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard methodology; the most widely used international carbon calculation methodology, compatible with other GHG standards such as the ISO14064. In accordance with the GHG Protocol, clear organisational and operational boundaries have been defined and agreed to by all parties.

This initial estimate has been based on available, and often limited, data, as well as a range of assumptions. Owing to these data limitations, a contingency of 20% has been added to the local carbon footprint estimate. This estimate will be verified and recalculated based on actual data collected during the COP17/CMP7 event. A Carbon Footprint Disclosure Report will be produced which includes this final calculation of the event carbon footprint.

5.2 First Pass Estimate

The table below summarises the first pass carbon footprint estimate for COP17/CMP7 based on a maximum of 25 000 official delegates.

 

Component	Activity	Carbon (t CO2e)
Local footprint	Energy and water relating to venues and accommodation, as well as travel within Durban (people and products)	15 000
International travel	Travel to Durban including international flights and land based travel for 25 000 delegates	61 500
National Events	Provincial Summits, Climate Train, and other official events and activities as arranged by DIRCO and DEA	400
Total estimated tonnes of CO2e		76 900

 

5.2.1 Local Footprint

EThekwini Municipality is responsible for calculating the local carbon footprint of the event and then finding ways to minimise the footprint and, where necessary, to offset this through appropriate means. The municipality has adopted a particularly thorough approach to this, and has appointed an experienced team to calculate the local carbon footprint of COP17/CMP7. The team have worked to calculate a ‘first pass’ estimate ahead of COP17/CMP7, and will then be required to complete a full disclosure report based on actual data collected during the event.

Based on the information that could be obtained, and on reasonable assumptions, it has been estimated that the carbon footprint for this event could be in the order of 15,000 t CO2 equivalent.

This includes estimated emissions that will be generated as a result of the following COP17/CMP7 event related activities:

• Electricity, LPG and water usage at the ICC / DEC complex; delegate accommodation; and venues where other events associated with COP17/CMP7 will be held (e.g. the Green Festival along the Durban Beachfront);
• Transportation of waste from the above venues to landfill sites and recycling centres; of equipment to and from event venues; of catering and virgin paper to the ICC/DEC complex; and
• Intra-city transport used by delegates and visitors.

Of the above, electricity, LPG and water usage at delegate accommodation makes up the greatest single contributor (61%) to the estimated event carbon footprint. Electricity, water and LPG usage at all event venues is the second largest contributor (23%), and intra-city transportation the third largest contributor (15%).

This estimate will be verified and recalculated based on actual data collected during the COP17/CMP7 event.

5.2.2 International Travel Footprint

It has been estimated that a maximum of 25 000 delegates will travel to Durban for the conference. These delegates will include NGOs, IGOs, country delegations, press and UN staff.

5.2.3 National Events and Activities

Different events have been hosted by DEA and DIRCO leading up to COP17 and these also need to be taken into account. The following main events have been considered as part of the national footprint: Climate Change Response Summits; Climate Train; and other events.

Climate Change Response Summits
Nine summits were organised by DEA in preparation for COP17, one in each province of South Africa, with the final National Summit held in Durban on 22 November.

Climate Train and the SA Agulhas
See below for more information on these initiatives.

Other Events
Due to the limited amount of available data it was agreed that an additional 20% would be added to the carbon footprint first pass estimate to capture information such as the UNFCC's four preparatory meetings, 50-day countdown events, travel to and from the Climate Train, as well as accommodation.

5.3 Official SA delegation

South Africa’s official national government delegation at COP17 will include various government ministers, officials, politicians, support staff and other aides, an estimated 550 people. The carbon emissions associated with the delegation’s travel and stay in Durban will be calculated.

It is estimated that the South African Delegation will generate about 240 ton of CO2e, which it has pledged to offset through supporting the Durban CEBA Initiative (see below).

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6 Durban CEBA Initiative

In the hosting of COP 17/CMP 7, Durban has taken responsibility for minimising carbon emissions wherever possible and where minimisation has not been possible, to offset the remaining local footprint. A number of initiatives have been put in place to minimise the event’s carbon footprint, including energy efficiency interventions at the ICC, the implementation of a Responsible Accommodation Campaign targeting all accommodation businesses in Durban, and the design of efficient public and non-motorised transport systems for delegates to use.

In terms of the offset strategy, eThekwini Municipality embarked on the development of its own climate adaptation and mitigation project, the Durban Community Ecosystem Based Adaptation (CEBA) Initiative. The Durban CEBA Initiative is being implemented in partnership with local communities, other spheres of government in South Africa, business and non-governmental agencies. The initiative has been developed in response to the need for vulnerable, impoverished communities in African cities to be active participants in the rapid transformation of their cities towards increased resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change.

The Durban CEBA Initiative involves communities in restoring their natural ecosystems, creating cleaner and greener neighbourhoods that are less dependent on costly utilities and services, and so participating in and benefitting from the development of a new sector of the green economy in Durban. Through this important work, ecosystem services are enhanced, resulting in increased adaptive capacity to climate change, as well as mitigation of carbon emissions through natural sequestration and carbon storage processes.

Since the Durban CEBA Initiative is South Africa’s official COP 17-CMP 7 Voluntary Offset project, delegates and non-delegates will be able to contribute towards this by purchasing ‘CEBA credits’ to offset the environmental impact associated with their attendance at COP 17/CMP 7. The first phase of the project, which is an ecosystem rehabilitation project in the uMbilo catchment west of Durban, is estimated to offset 16,000tCO2 equivalent. For more information on this initiative, please visit www.durbanceba.org.

7 Ongoing Carbon Reduction Initiatives

A number of ongoing carbon reduction initiatives are being implemented to showcase the importance of African adaptation. The Legacy emerging from these initiatives is the Green Cities Support Programme, which proposes to unlock constraints to optimal environmental performance in South African Cities. This will include the development of a City Environmental Performance Assessment and Comparison Methodology (Matrix). The Matrix is a technical tool that will be populated with data on environmental activities, measure, and compare performance among the large cities in South Africa, and allow for comparison between cities, as well as tracking city performance over time.

7.1 Non-motorised Transport

Please refer to the section on Intra-City Transport.

7.2 Integrated Energy Solutions for Rural Communities

A partnership between the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as the funder, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) as the implementing agency, and the National Department of Environmental Affairs as the project sponsor, is promoting an Integrated Energy Solution for Rural Communities. Solar water heaters are being installed in 19 health clinics in KwaZulu-Natal and in two schools in the iLembe District. This will help provide an affordable and sustainable source of hot water through a renewable source to these facilities as part of a larger programme to promote solar power in the KwaZulu Natal province. Energy efficient cooking stoves as well as a LED-lighting solution will be provided to 30 households in a rural community in the iLembe District.

7.3 Retrofitting of Low Income Households in Cato Manor

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) is spearheading the green retrofitting of 30 low-income houses in a street in Cato Manor, Durban. The upgrade of these low-income homes will demonstrate a range of benefits such as energy cost saving, reduced illness and safety risks, skills training and job creation, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact and better water and food security.

This innovative project is being funded primarily by the British High Commission in South Africa. It is endorsed by the Department of Environmental Affairs, and is being carried out in collaboration with the eThekwini Municipality. The retrofitting will include such things as solar water heaters, insulated ceilings, energy efficient lighting, and rainwater harvesting systems, food gardens and heat-insulation cookers.

The focus is on collaboration and a number of organisations are contributing to this initaitive. Eskom is providing energy efficient CFL light bulbs and efficient showerheads and research; the Botanical Society is sponsoring shade and fruit trees to be planted in the street; ISO Board is sponsoring all the insulated ceiling boards; eThekwini Municipality is installing LED street lights and Natural Balance is donating Wonderbags – which are heat-insulation cookers. Carbon Programmes will implement the retrofit in collaboration with local Durban partner, Khanyisa Projects.

7.4 Solar PV Farm

A solar PV farm with an initial capacity of about 500kW is being installed to the north of Durban to supplement the energy requirements of the ICC during the hosting of the COP17/CMP7. The project includes the installation of a demo solar tracker at the Transport Hub.

This is an exciting development for South Africa and will be the forerunner of a range of renewable energy projects currently being developed in the country. It serves as a catalyst displaying highly efficient modern solar technology as well streamlining the regulatory process towards how renewable energy projects can be fast-tracked in South Africa.

8 - Communication and Awareness

8.1 Flagship projects

There are so many innovative and exciting projects that can be showcased, however it was decided that ten be nominated in an effort to showcase what South Africa has to offer from a variety of different sectors and provinces.  These projects will be on show inside the UN precinct as well as the CCR Expo:

• Mass roll out of Solar Water Heaters
• Community Solar Energy Project
• Ceres Wind Farm
• Energy efficient street lighting
• Large scale photo voltaic park
• Joule – South Africa’s electric vehicle
• National Climate Innovation Centre
• Eduroute House – Mzansi Green
• Low energy moducal low-cost low-carbon housing
• Food and Energy Centre of Excellence

8.2 Green Passport

The Green Passport is a handy visitor’s reference that informs delegates and non-delegates about the greening of COP17, greening initiatives in Durban as well as in the various provinces. It encourages responsible visitor behaviour and provides practical tips as to how visitor’s can reduce both their carbon and ecological footprints.

8.3 Green Volunteers

Green Volunteers will be situated throughout the City and their role will be to provide environmental awareness to visitors as well as orientation around the City in respect of exciting greening initiatives. Another role they will fulfil is the administration of a survey among visitors to establish their awareness and views of the various greening initiatives.

8.4 CCR Summits and Awareness Initatitives

8.4.1 Climate Change Summits

In the lead up to COP17/CMP7, Climate Change Response Summits were held in every province to discuss climate change, raise awareness about COP17/CMP7 and to gather a body of views and opinions about how to address climate change. These are very instructive in shaping how the country engages in the COP17/CMP7 negotiations.

8.4.2 Climate Train

The country’s environmental awareness agency, Indalo Yethu, breathed life into public railway services by converting a Shosholoza Meyl train into a hip mobile climate change awareness device to drum up support for climate change response and COP17/CMP7. It is traversing the length and breadth of South Africa, stopping at various towns and engaging with communities and school children in interactive and creative ways.

There are many activities planned at each stop including tree planting, CFL light bulb exchanges, schools and the public visiting the train, music festivals at the stations and round table dialogues. A total of 24 participants and ten staff are travelling on the train, with eleven carriages and a locomotive.

Its journey comes to a temporary stop when it arrives in Durban and presents an array of messages from ordinary South Africans for the delegates and visitors to Durban. The train returns to Johannesburg on 11 December after spending two weeks in Durban.

8.4.3 Agulhas

DEA released South Africa's polar research and supply vessel - the SA Agulhas - on a symbolic ten-day climate change voyage ahead of COP17/CMP7 in Durban. The 30-year-old vessel set sail from Cape Town on Saturday, 12 November 2011, with over 50 people on board to raise awareness on climate change in the country's coastal cities. There are exhibitions, meetings and lectures taking place on board, showcasing various scientific activities undertaken by the department and its stakeholders in the Antarctica and Southern Oceans. The campaign will also reflect on the opportunities and threats posed by the ocean to coastal communities and "the real and considerable impact of oceans on the climate".

By the end of the COP17, SA Agulhas would be on its last voyage to the Antarctic before decommissioning.

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