Dire warnings have been issued by UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres that the rate of temperature rise in the last half century is the highest in 2,000 years. He added that concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) are at their highest in at least 2-million years. These facts, together with the view of scientists that the earth is already 1.1°C warmer than it was 150 years ago, show us that we have a pending climate catastrophe.
We have seen the devastating impact of climate change on our ecosystem, weather patterns and agricultural production. For example, the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal early last year were said to be the worst in six decades for that region, while recurrent and prolonged droughts have become common in our country, worsening household food security and access to safe drinking water for both humans and livestock. In the subregion, we have seen how monsoons and hurricanes in countries such as Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique have destroyed infrastructure and livelihoods and caused thousands of fatalities.
We need an urgent multistakeholder and multisectoral call to action to implement mitigation measures before it is too late. We no longer have the luxury of time.
And yet we are facing water shortages in our cities. It is predicted globally that about 70% of the global population will be urbanised by 2050, and that creates huge climate issues in terms of water, waste, pollution and food security.
The economic impact of climate change is equally devastating. Over time, this could and probably will be catastrophic for an emerging economy such as ours, battling high levels of unemployment, poverty, inequality and household food insecurity, especially in rural communities.
I blame human disregard for protecting our environment, our natural resources, and the planet. Something is fundamentally and morally wrong with the way we are managing our fragile ecosystem. What is needed now are sustainable interventions. We need an urgent multistakeholder and multisectoral call to action to implement mitigation measures before it is too late. We no longer have the luxury of time.
As the Consumer Goods Council of SA (CGCSA), our commitment to climate change and sustainability is clear. Our response breaches several fronts, among them the recently launched CGCSA Sustainability & Climate Change Dialogue Series focusing on climate change, sustainability in packaging, energy and waste.
These dialogues are an extension of the work the CGCSA has been doing through the SA Food Loss & Waste Voluntary Agreement as well as the Food & Packaging Waste Project. These projects are aimed at reducing food and packaging waste and assisting government to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 12.3 and 14.1, and the presidency’s Operation Phakisa goals.
Do more, talk less
The Sustainability & Climate Change Dialogue Series, which will address specific subject and topic imperatives, will ensure that CGCSA members stay well informed and are able to set and achieve targets aligned to the UN’s SDGs.
We have achieved similarly in the past, with our Food Waste & Loss Initiative. Here, member companies and other stakeholders are using the voluntary pledge to commit themselves to reduce and eventually eliminate food waste and loss.
This will go a long way towards improving national food security in SA where more than 11-million go to bed every night without a decent full meal. We are working with the government to modify the food safety regulations to enable greater access to food surpluses to those who really need them.
I am encouraged by the commitment from other industry bodies, companies, the government and other stakeholders to not only embrace but to further intensify initiatives and efforts to respond to climate change.
With packaging waste, we are supporting initiatives to eliminate plastic packaging with recycled carrier and other bags in supermarkets and working with manufacturers to reduce and ensure packaging is recyclable, while ensuring better management of landfills to avoid waste flowing into our river systems, damaging local ecosystems and ultimately is destroying marine life.
In the case of climate change, we again plan to reach a point where we can get members to sign up to voluntary agreements on identified and defined climate change and sustainability targets.
I am encouraged by the commitment from other industry bodies, companies, the government and other stakeholders to not only embrace but to further intensify initiatives and efforts to respond to climate change. We just need to do more and talk less. We need to use voluntary agreements that business adheres to, thereby forestalling more government regulation.
There is a growing trend where regulators, investors, employees, customers and other stakeholders are containing their support to companies that address and embrace environmental, social & governance (ESG) issues and integrate sustainability practices into their operations. Importantly, even non-listed companies are beginning to report on sustainability metrics, and demonstrating in practical terms their commitment to sustainability and climate change. More and more, companies globally are demanding ESG targets and their achievement as a condition of doing business.
Financial institutions are developing sustainability-linked funding solutions, and are preferring to do business with companies that are embracing sustainability in their business processes with penalties for noncompliance. For example, Nedbank was recently quoted as saying it had increased its green finance pipeline to more than R10bn as more companies invest in private power generation.
Green economy
Looking ahead, as we implement climate and sustainability initiatives I believe that there is a significant opportunity to develop the green circular economy in SA. This is a circular economy that has the potential to drive growth, attract investment and create jobs in many sectors. But for this to happen, our government must create an enabling policy and regulatory environment, including appropriate incentives and tax breaks, to support industries that the green economy will create.
This should take into consideration the unintended policy impacts based on silo thinking. An example being the government’s implicit support of Russia in the Ukraine war, which could have an effect on the Conference of the Parties (COP) commitment to provide funding to reduce SA’s dependence on coal-powered power generation and its consequent impact on reduction of scheduled blackouts.
Protecting our environment is no longer an option but an economic, social and health imperative. We are the custodians of the next generation’s future, and the least we can do is to commit, in practical terms, to take measures, including industry commitments, to reduce the impact of climate change and fully embrace sustainability.
• Ackerman is co-chair at the CGCSA.
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