COP17, or the Climate Change Conference 2011, runs from 28 November until 9 December 2011, at the ICC in Durban. Itʼs an important global issue, as well as a huge event for South Africa, and especially for Durban, but how many of us actually know what it is, or what itʼs about?
This yearʼs event is the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – what a mouthful! Itʼs also the 7th session of the COP which serves as a Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (or CMP7). The Kyoto Protocol is actually the only legally binding agreement thatʼs come out of the COP after all these years, and it expires in 2012, which is why COP17 is so important – some hard decisions have to be made.
What COP17 means for the world
The COP meets every year to discuss the problem of climate change, the efforts being made to combat the issue, and the progress, if any. There are 194 parties, or members, who have committed themselves to sharing information on greenhouse gas emissions, national policies, and best practice, as well as launching and negotiating strategies for addressing emissions, and providing support to developing countries.
The essential problem of climate change is this – the burning of fossil fuels and human activities such as deforestation are causing extreme weather, changing rain patterns, the melting of the glaciers, rising sea levels, and ultimately, very bad things for the Earth and its ability to sustain life.
The other problem is that most developed nationsʼ economies have already been built on burning fossil fuels, whereas developing countries are still reliant on burning fossil fuels to further their own growth in the future. The reality is that if every country doesnʼt reduce its carbon footprint, weʼre all going to suffer the consequences, but no-one wants to commit to a legal binding agreement to cap their emissions because it gives other economies a trade advantage.
What COP17 means for South Africa
The COP and CMP President rotates every year between the five UN regions. This year, the host and Presidency will transfer from Mexico (who hosted the 2010 conference) to South Africa. Each year, a minister from the host country is elected as President, and our very own Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, has been elected.
COP17 is an opportunity for South Africa to lead the way for developing nations like China, Brazil and India. Climate change is a huge threat to South Africaʼs sustainable development, given our reliance on our agricultural sector. With our economy so heavily reliant on coal, we would need to invest in renewable energy resources in order to reduce our carbon footprint, and so South Africa has a chance to pioneer the way forward for developing countries who are naturally reliant on fossil fuels.
With more than 20 000 delegates expected from 194 countries, representing the worldʼs governments, international organisations, and academia, the world is definitely watching. South Africa needs to take this opportunity to show the world what we are doing to combat climate change, marketing our initiatives, building networks and partnerships for future sustainable growth.
What COP17 means for KwaZulu-Natal
With over 20 000 visitors, who are likely to be more environmentally aware than the average tourist, this is the perfect opportunity for the province and local establishments (hotels and restaurants) to market and showcase their responsible tourism efforts.
eThekwini Municipality recently launched their Responsible Accommodation Campaign and COP17 Greening Programme, encouraging establishments to adopt environmentally sustainable practices and minimise the environmental impact of hosting this event in terms of resources like energy and water consumption, and the production of waste.
With this much international exposure, if KwaZulu-Natal’s hospitality industry is able to impress the COP delegates (and the world) with their ʻgreenʼ efforts, it could have a huge impact on our province as a tourism destination.
For more information about COP17, visit the website (http://www.cop17- cmp7durban.com/).
(Courtesy of the International Hotel School - www.hotelschool.co.za)
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