Pretoria - The Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa on Saturday called for a healthy balance between economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability.
The Minister said faced with the real threat of climate change, sustainable development becomes more pertinent from the South African and worldwide perspective.
In pursuit of South Africa's developmental pathway, a shared vision and common goal of sustainability has emerged as a strong driver of industry values as well as societal behaviour.
“As a nation we adopted the National Development Plan, which maps out the vision of the country for the 20 years ahead. As the environment sector, we will implement related aspects of the priority areas in this plan that deal with sustainable development,” the Minister said.
Minister Molewa, together with the head of the United Nations Environment Programme in Africa Cecilia Njenga, and member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment Patrick Mabilo, led the World Environment Day celebrations in Kimberley, Northern Cape on Saturday.
The day, marked annually on 5 June, was held under the theme ‘’Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care”.
The theme, which was declared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), centres around the wellbeing of humanity, the environment, and the functioning of the economy, which ultimately depend upon the responsible management of the planet’s natural resources.
Minister Molewa said through the theme, emphasis was placed on the actions that could be taken by all individuals to help save the planet “because every action and dream, no matter how big or small, counts”.
World Environment Day was established in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly at the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment to present an opportunity for everyone to realise their responsibility to become agents of change.
The day aims to create, educate and raise awareness on environmental conservation.
The celebrations in Kimberley focused on key environmental aspects such as job creation in the environment sector, sustainable development, biodiversity and weather.
“In keeping with the theme … it is pertinent to consider that it is the responsibility of each and every person to protect our environment, to do more with less or ensure that greater care is taken in the way limited resources are consumed, in order to secure a sustainable future for all,” the Minister said.
She said human prosperity need not cost the Earth.
“Living sustainably is about doing more and better with less. It is about knowing that rising rates of natural resource use and the environmental impacts that occur are not a necessary by-product of economic growth.”
The Minister encouraged South Africans to “remember that when they work for the environment, the environment will work for them”. – SAnews.gov.za
