Sir David King visits South Africa: 26-28 March 2014
Sir David King visited SA as part of global efforts to ensure a legally binding deal on climate change is possible in 2015.
Sir David King tours the new headquarters of Dept of Environmental Affairs site
Sir David (UK Foreign Secretary’s special representative on climate change) visited SA as part of global efforts to ensure a legally binding deal on climate change is possible in 2015. He met with Minister Hanekom to discuss how science and technology can support South Africa’s low carbon transition, in which both agreed that solar power and energy storage were significant opportunities. He also met a range of government officials from Dept of Environment, Energy and Treasury where he heard how South Africa is meeting its domestic goals to reduce carbon and diversify the energy mix.
On a tour of the site for the new headquarters of Dept of Environmental Affairs (to be opened in August 2014) a range of innovative technologies and building practices were demonstrated. Mott MacDonald/PDNA (UK company) was the project consultant tasked with ensuring the building achieved the highest green star rating possible of 6 stars.
Sir David King tours the new headquarters of Dept of Environmental Affairs site
Sir David spoke at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange where they also launched a innovative carbon offsets study by Promethium Carbon. Other meetings included energy stakeholders, COSATU’s reference group on climate change and businesses signing up to the Private Sector Energy Efficiency programme (funded by UKAid). An address to Youth in Mitchells Plein highlighted the power of Twitter with over 500 tweets on #SirDavidinSA. The programme ended with keynote lecture for the World Universities Network’s conference on climate change and public health.
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