26 January 2021, Johannesburg — Responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s comments at the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda this morning, Greenpeace Africa’s Climate and Energy Campaign Manager Happy Khambule has said:
“The President of South Africa and Chair of the African Union is peddling 20th century solutions to 21st century problems. The President missed an opportunity to rise to the challenges of COVID-19 and the climate crisis, as tens of thousands die as a result of the global health pandemic and over 7 000 people have lost their homes in Southern Africa, following tropical cyclone Eloise.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that we need to protect the planet so that it will protect us. The President and other world leaders need to show that they have the courage to change a system that is actively working against the planet, and against our own future. A diverse energy mix is not a move away from fossil fuels, on which South Africa is still dependent. The President’s address should have given clear commitment to achieve a rapid Just Transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy.
“If there is to be anything vaguely redeemable about the Great Reset, our leaders must declare a Climate Emergency and establish a decent Universal Basic Income. A better world will never materialise if our leaders are not willing to do more than sell false solutions to the richest billionaires in the room.”
ENDS
Notes to the editor
[1] Extreme weather events in Africa are covered in a recent report published in November 2020 by Greenpeace Research Laboratories and Greenpeace Africa.
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Chris Vlavianos, Greenpeace Africa Communications Officer, [email protected], +2779 883 7036
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It's high time that we teach our young youth and people in general how to get food we have the ground let's roll up our sleeves and till the ground our black gvt must release the lland that can be used for farming not for them but for the people in general plant maize,fruit trees, poultry pigery vegetables instead of all these food parcels
Thank you for your comment Pumla; we totally agree 💯; it is time for a change.
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Thank you for your support 💚.