Active Climate Change Citizenship for a Just Transition in South Africa

CLIMATE CHANGE YOUTH PROJECT, SOUTH AFRICA

Empowering youth, women and communities to harness opportunities within the renewable energy sector, and providing the tools to address climate change mitigation and adaptation.

About SA Climate Change Champs

Climate change is a global threat but a proactive response to it can bring new opportunities to the benefit of communities and the economy.

This South African climate change youth, women and community project aims to enable constructive and collaborative engagement by communities, women and youth in climate mitigation and adaptation. SA Climate Change Champs will create awareness in SA’s youth to the array of opportunities in a green economy and the great career opportunities that the growing renewable energy industry in South Africa will bring. #SAClimateChangeChamps

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SA Climate Change Champs News

The focus of #SAClimateChangeChamps is on urban and rural communities, women and youth in the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape. These are the communities and citizens that stand to benefit from a transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy, but whose voices are not currently adequately heard at national level and who may lack the knowledge, capacity and sense of agency to act locally.

The ‘Active Climate Change Citizenship for a Just Transition in South Africa’ initiative (Climate Change Champs) is funded by the European Union and implemented by GreenCape in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. It sets out to capacitate active citizens who can effectively participate in democratic processes, and to enable communication with the government about their needs and priorities for climate mitigation and adaptation, with a particular focus on energy.

This important climate change project in South Africa, will build capacity in a core group of civil society organisations and community based organisations to train high school teachers and community organisations about renewable energy and climate change adaptations.

By working through the teachers, the aim is to reach 500 high school students so that they are aware of the economic, environmental and social benefits of renewable energy and the career opportunities available to them.

Through the creation of climate clubs and a virtual networking platform, the intent is to build a community of young people that have a voice to influence national and local climate and energy policy. They’ll take action at their schools and in their communities that will influence climate mitigation and adaptation. By working through high school teachers, the aim is to reach students and create awareness about the economic, environmental and social benefits of renewable energy, and career opportunities available to them in these fields.

According to the United Nations, Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.

Examples of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. These come from using gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building, for example. Clearing land and forests can also release carbon dioxide. Landfills for garbage are a major source of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the main emitters.

The focus of #SAClimateChangeChamps is on urban and rural communities, women and youth in the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape. These are the communities and citizens that stand to benefit from a transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy, but whose voices are not currently adequately heard at national level and who may lack the knowledge, capacity and sense of agency to act locally.

The ‘Active Climate Change Citizenship for a Just Transition in South Africa’ initiative (Climate Change Champs) is funded by the European Union and implemented by GreenCape in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. It sets out to capacitate active citizens who can effectively participate in democratic processes, and to enable communication with the government about their needs and priorities for climate mitigation and adaptation, with a particular focus on energy.

This important climate change project in South Africa, will build capacity in a core group of civil society organisations and community based organisations to train high school teachers and community organisations about renewable energy and climate change adaptations.

By working through the teachers, the aim is to reach 500 high school students so that they are aware of the economic, environmental and social benefits of renewable energy and the career opportunities available to them.

Through the creation of climate clubs and a virtual networking platform, the intent is to build a community of young people that have a voice to influence national and local climate and energy policy. They’ll take action at their schools and in their communities that will influence climate mitigation and adaptation. By working through high school teachers, the aim is to reach students and create awareness about the economic, environmental and social benefits of renewable energy, and career opportunities available to them in these fields.

According to the United Nations, Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.

Examples of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. These come from using gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building, for example. Clearing land and forests can also release carbon dioxide. Landfills for garbage are a major source of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the main emitters.

Project partners

Co-funded by the European Union

Implemented in partnership with FNF

Presented by GreenCape

Contact the Climate Change Champs Team

Send us a message and we will get back to you!