 |
|
|
Design Indaba goes green
The Design Indaba Conference - renowned for bringing the world's
brightest design and creative talent to Cape Town - has notched
up another achievement by becoming the first major carbon-neutral
event in Africa.
The Design Indaba and partners, in an undertaking known as the Carbon
Standard, will calculate the carbon generated by the event and then
plant trees to offset it. Conference-generated emissions are based
on participants' long-term and local travel as well as inputs such
as local accommodation and the conference venue. Planting trees
will reduce the environmental impact of the conference and allow
organisers to offset greenhouse gases.
The Carbon Standard is a collaboration between the Design Indaba
organiser Interactive Africa, legal advisors Edward Nathan, accounting
giant Price Waterhouse Coopers, award-winning NGO Food and Trees
for Africa (FTFA), Toyota South Africa and petroleum producer BP,
ranked among the "greenest" companies in the world.
The Carbon Standard will indicate the total carbon emission generated
by an event and trees neutralising these carbon emissions will then
be planted in SA townships. Individuals, SMMEs, corporates and other
interested parties will be able to follow the example of the Design
Indaba by accessing a website and determining what the carbon cost
of an event will be. Then they can offset it by paying for an equivalent
greening in disadvantaged communities.
Several partners are involved in the Carbon Standard, including:
- Corporate law advisors Edward Nathan will verify all individuals,
companies and institutions that apply to use the Carbon Standard
and logo;
- Interactive Africa, that developed the Carbon Standard concept
in association with the other partners and launched it at the flagship
event Design Indaba, will manage the marketing programme. This includes
advertising, PR and sponsorships;
- Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) will source and allocate trees
to disadvantaged communities. FTFA works in partnership with government,
the private and public sectors and civil society to improve the
quality of life and environments for all SA communities through
tree planting and organic food gardening. In the past 15 years FTFA
has planted over 2.2 million trees for the poorest in SA and these
efforts have been internationally acknowledge and rewarded.
- BP, an official supplier to the Design Indaba, will be supporting
the programme by providing its global expertise developed in this
area. BP was the first petroleum company to publicly acknowledge
the risks of climate change and took action to reduce emissions
in line with the Kyoto protocol - the international treaty on global
warming.
- Toyota SA has supplied a fleet of hybrid vehicles to transport
conference speakers. Fifteen Prius models (that produce half the
carbon dioxide emissions of a petrol engine), one seven-seater Estima
and two 14-seater Quantums will ferry 50 of the world's most creative
designers, architects and other creative practitioners to and from
the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Interactive Africa MD Ravi Naidoo says: "We worked on the Carbon
Standard as we wanted to maintain the highest standards for the
Design Indaba - our conference was recently judged the best in the
world by EIBTM in Barcelona - but we were also aware of the considerable
resources that are consumed in such an undertaking.
"So the Carbon Standard is designed to offset the space, energy
and paper used at the Convention Centre as well as the cost of carbon
to fly the speakers and delegates to the event and to accommodate
them at hotels in Cape Town.
"This is a landmark programme that will allow everybody to play
their part in taking responsibility for the environment and ensuring
that their offices, schools, homes, meetings, events, conferences
and other actions are carbon neutral."
The Carbon Standard consortium will calculate the carbon emitted
by a range of activities that include copiers, computers, air conditioners,
land and air travel, paper usage and other carbon impacts. Then
they can work out how many trees will need to be planted to sink
that carbon through photosynthesis - where trees convert carbon
dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen.
"The Carbon Standard is a very exciting project and it will be wonderful
to work with such partners," says FTFA CEO Jeunesse Park. "It will
assist us to respond to numerous applications for trees in disadvantaged
communities.
"The project will not only help in urban renewal with the planting
of indigenous trees, but we also supply fruit trees when these are
requested. This offers the additional benefit of food security."
Trees are selected to suit particular climatic zones - popular species
include white stinkwood and karee - while fruit trees are deciduous
or tropical depending on location.
Adam Gunn, an associate in Edward Nathan's environmental law department,
adds: "Our role will be to look after the legal aspects and certification
procedures of the project. We are proud to be associated with what
we believe is a first of its kind in South Africa."
For further information on the Carbon Standard: Interactive Africa
+27(021) 418 6666 or diconference@interactive.africa.com
or www.trees.co.za
|
|
|
