About the South Africa Climate Change Response Expo

The South Africa Climate Change Response Expo is an exhibition of South African greening initiatives.

Showcasing the climate change mitigation work of national, provincial and local government as well as the private sector, it profiles environmentally responsible initiatives and solutions from local and international companies and organisations with operations in South Africa.

Now is the Time to Act

Do you live in Durban or are you visiting its beautiful shores? Come and learn more about climate change: be motivated and inspired by the array of innovative South African products and greener lifestyle alternatives on display.

Sample exciting art, craft, live entertainment and sustainable street cuisine bursting with local flavour.

Environmental Responsibility

The environmental impacts of the Expo are being managed in accordance with international greening best practice – responsible procurement, waste separation and recycling, energy and water consumption have all been carefully organised, and every exhibitor has signed a charter committing to environmentally responsible behaviour. The Expo has enabled skills training and employment of local people from disadvantaged communities, and its long range focus is on leaving a legacy through contributing to sustainable socio-economic upliftment projects.

What is COP17?

The Conferences of the Parties (COP) is an annual event where the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international environmental treaty informally known as the Earth Summit, assess the progress made in dealing with climate change.

This year the 17th Conferences of the Parties (COP 17) will be taking place in Durban from 28 November – 9 December 2011. Hosting this esteemed international event presents a unique opportunity for South Africa to promote and publicly initiate the transition to a green economy.

Although the COP event is a tightly managed UN affair that follows strict agenda and protocols and, thus, realistically allows very limited scope for external involvement, there is no doubt that the COP provides a rare and valuable opportunity to raise awareness about climate change and what each and everyone of us can do to help save our Earth.

Therefore, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) plans to host an expo on South Africa’s Climate Change Response as a side-event to the UN conference. The Expo will be open to all South African businesses, government organisations, NGOs and CBOs and any other interested parties involved in the field of climate change.

The Expo provides an opportunity for green economy players to profile their work and products and to signal government’s commitment to encouraging a green economy growth path. It’s main objective will be to create a visitor experience that provides opportunities for the visitor to make a personal connection with issues of climate change, and to excite and inspire South Africans to make climate-friendly choices.