‘Green Goal 2010 Action Plan’ and Workshop Series win Impumelelo Sustainability Award

CITY OF CAPE TOWN MEDIA RELEASE MAY 2010

Host City Cape Town’s ‘Green Goal 2010 Action Plan’ and Workshop Series win Impumelelo Sustainability Award

The City of Cape Town is proud to announce that its environmental programme for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, namely “Green Goal 2010” has won an Impumelelo Sustainability Award.

Commenting on the announcement, Mike Marsden, Executive Director for Service Delivery Integration and responsible for 2010 in the City said: “the environmental impacts caused by an event such as the FIFA World Cup™ are wide-ranging. The event will place global environmental issues, such as climate change, under a spotlight, and is an opportunity to promote pro-active approaches to these issues among local and international audiences.  We are extremely proud of the responsible action taken by Host City Cape Town and in particular of the Green Goal 2010 Workshop Series that resulted in the many mitigating projects that comprise the Green Goal 2010 Action Plan.”

Host City Cape Town launched its Green Goal 2010 Action Plan in October 2008. The Action Plan was informed by a series of workshops hosted by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) from 2007 – 2009 in cooperation with the City of Cape Town, the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and facilitated by the environmental NGO, Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA).  The workshops brought together a wide range of stakeholders, non-governmental organisations, business, civil society, the media, the Department of Environmental Affairs, the 2010 Local Organising Committee and representatives from the City of Cape Town and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape.  As a result, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Host City Cape Town Green Goal Action Plan was published in 2008 and identified a total of 41 projects across nine target areas in order to reduce the impact of the event on the environment.

The greening intervention target areas are as follows:

1.  Energy and climate change (Minimise the carbon footprint of the 2010 event)
2.  Water conservation (Minimise the use of potable water, and promote conservation
of water resources)
3.  Integrated waste management (Reduce, reuse and recycle waste)
4. Transport, mobility and access (Promote energy-efficient and universally
accessible mobility, and minimise air pollution)
5.  Landscaping and biodiversity (Promote indigenous landscaping, and enhance
biodiversity)
6.  Green building and sustainable lifestyles (Promote environmental awareness,
sustainable lifestyles and environmentally efficient building practices)
7.  Responsible tourism (Promote responsible tourism for 2010 and beyond)
8.  Green Goal communications (Communicate the message of Green Goal to
residents and visitors)
9.  Monitoring, measurement and reporting (Monitor, measure and report on
progress with the implementation of Green Goal)

A Green Goal 2010 Progress Report was launched by Host City Cape Town in September 2009 detailing the many lessons that have been learnt, not least of which is that greening cannot be an add-on initiative of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, but must be a key component, fully incorporated into the event planning process. This will ensure a long-term foundation for environmental concerns in national and international football.

Lorraine Gerrans, City of Cape Town Manager: Green Goal 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup™, stated that the 2010 Green Goal initiative is a time-limited programme in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. However, she said, that the approaches and methods are transferable in that they provide a blueprint for ways of handling similar events in the future. “While this spin-off is still linked to the forthcoming event, the principles and lessons learnt from the 2010 Green Goal interventions can be a useful instrument to further green governance for future major events in this City and world-wide. We are already in conversation with Brazil 2014”, she said.

The award was presented to the City on Sunday evening at a Gala Celebration hosted by Impumelelo Chairman, Franklin Sonn and Executive Director, Rhoda Kadalie.

“With the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup upon us, we are committed to score for Cape Town in terms of the Green Goal project. The City is determined to implement the Responsible tourism Policy that was approved by Council and the implementation of the Green goal project bears testimony to this commitment. The Impumelelo Award is an award bestowed on our City and the partnerships that we have concluded with other levels of government as well as with the private sector. We are honored and would like to thank the judges for this prestigious award” said Nombulelo Mkefa, Director: Tourism, City of Cape Town, in conclusion.

More information on: http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/GreenGoal/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.impumelelo.org.za/awards/2010

For Images and information on Responsible Tourism visit: www.responsiblecapetown.co.za