Johannesburg- A climate change awareness campaign will begin in Orange Farm on Monday October 24 in the build-up to the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) reports Joburg.org.
The campaign is a partnership between Johannesburg and Siemens.
The day is International Day of Climate Action and activities geared towards heightening awareness and education about the causes of climate change and its impact on ecosystems and human livelihood will be held all over the world.
According to City spokesperson, Nkosinathi Nkabinde, the campaign will be launched under the theme "Mobilising Joburg citizens to act today to save tomorrow" and will be spread across the city over the next weeks, running until the beginning of COP 17.
"City officials will interact with members of the community in Orange Farm and plant a number of orange trees to commemorate the occasion," said Nkabinde.
The officials will also stop at strategic points with a high concentration of people, like local markets and taxi ranks, to engage with the public and distribute pamphlets on how they can get involved in mitigating change.
"The city is undergoing climate change and is not exempt from the negative impacts. It is expected that the temperatures will rise by two to three degrees Celsius in future, depending on the season of the year."
Rainfall was also expected to intensify, resulting in flooding in many parts of Joburg. Energy efficient bulbs will be installed by City Power officials in many households as part of the campaign.
COP 17, an international meeting, will be held at Durban's Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre from 28 November to 9 December. The conference is expected to attract 20 000 delegates from around the world.
Discussions will seek to advance the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, the only legally binding international agreement for developed countries to slash their greenhouse gas emissions by 5percent based on 1990 levels.-
