DEA at NBI: "Bonn stalemate was not unexpected"

Judy Beaumont - DDG at the Dept of Environmental Affairs, speaking at the NBI post-COP17 event at the Michelangelo this morning, displayed a remarkably balanced and empathic understanding of the issue facing South Africa with regards to climate action: SA's socio-economic challenges have to be solved at the same time for this to work. Thus, local job creation, skills development, poverty and access need to be the planned outcomes behind any climate action for it to be embraced both by government and the people.

Personally, listening to the extensive policy and legal frameworks needing to be concluded by the various parties (countries) representing the various compromised tracks of the various commitments in various cities over the world over the past 20 years - perhaps civil pressure and corporate commitment will, in the end, be the watershed for success in climate aciton!

What is the relevance of the political agreement to effect the 2nd commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, hopefully to be legally ratified in Doha soon (following sluggish to stand-still negotiations in Bonn).

I give up. WWF, SA big biz - JUST DO IT.    Please

Anglo American and NBI: how SA's private sector can implement Climate Change Action?

This morning, I'm at the Michelangelo with National Business Initiative members to hear about programmes the NBI has been setting up since COP17 to improve engagement between Government and the private sector.


Valerie Geen of the NBI said the pre-COP17 sessions hosted by the NBI all through 2011 helped pin-point where problems existed between the 190 countries involved in climate negotiations such as geo-politics and trade barriers. It helped SA CEO's get a direct "in" with Government DDG's and DGs as well as a broad range of Ministerial leaders. 

These meetings also helped the NBI and SA business to engage more broadly with stakeholders outside of the business community- engaging with civil society and public stakeholder groups helped broaden the view of SA big biz and will hopefully go a long way to aiding inclusivity in corporate business conduct going forward.

Launch of the 5th CDP Report at COP17 positioned SA very well, with 83% of member companies responding - ahead of Fortune 500 companies!

The Energy Efficiency Leadership Network (previously known as the Energy Accord) is a coalition between NBI members companies (specifically large users) to share best-practice and set benchmarks in order to improve energy use in their operations.

SEMINARS JULY - DECEMBER 2012:

- Carbon Tax

- Carbon Budgets

- Measurement, Reporting and Verification

- New Financial Mechanisms.

I'll DEFINITELY BE THERE!