The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, will launch the African Green Campus Initiative (AGCI) at the Lagoon Beach Hotel in Milnerton, Cape Town on Saturday, 21 April 2012 .
The initiative is aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and climate change interventions at college and university campuses in South Africa.
The launch will be attended by key stakeholders within the higher education and environmental sectors and will end with the signing of a Climate Change Commitment Pledge by Minister Nzimande, the Director-General of the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), representatives from Higher Education South Africa (HESA), Universities and Colleges, the Association of College and Housing Officers International, South African Chapter (ACUHO-I-SAC), African Compass and PD Naidoo and Associates.
“This initiative comes at the right time as issues of environmental sustainability and climate change have come to occupy centre-stage in our country and globally. It will provide awareness and capacity development training for students and staff who will then be required to initiate green campus programs and champion projects that will promote environmental sustainability,” Minister Nzimande said.
Minister Nzimande called on colleges and universities to exercise leadership in their communities and in society by modelling ways to minimise global warming emissions, and in the provision of knowledge required to achieve climate neutrality.
The AGCI is a project of the ACUHO-I-SAC in collaboration with African Compass and PD Naidoo and Associates, supported by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and sponsored by the Department of Environmental Affairs.
The Climate Change Commitment pledge signifies commitment among the signatories to take action in dealing with climate change implications at their respective campuses.
Enquiries:
Vuyelwa Qinga
Tel: 012 312 5555 / 5538
Fax1: 0865867047
Fax2: 012 323 5618
Cell: 076 883 4144
E-mail: Qinga.V@dhet.gov.za
Minister Nzimande to launch the African Green Campus Initiative
