South Africa, through the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), will host the second technical meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) next week.
The meeting will be held from 14-18 July at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park.
The ECSWG will facilitate high-level discussions on various critical topics, including biodiversity and conservation, climate change, land degradation, desertification and drought, chemicals and waste management, air quality, and ocean and coastal issues.
Build on the progress
According to the department, this meeting will build on the progress made at the first virtual ECSWG meeting held in March and will focus on deepening collaboration within the priorities of the G20 ECSWG.
The DFFE is coordinating the ECSWG, ensuring alignment with South Africa’s policy priorities and global sustainability commitments.
The key activities focused on promoting global cooperation for environmental sustainability.
This includes leading three ECSWG meetings, integrating sustainability discussions within G20 Working Groups, and collaborating with stakeholders and member states to achieve actionable results in climate finance, biodiversity, pollution management, and ocean governance.
The meeting at the Kruger National Park forms part of a series of three ECSWG engagements hosted by South Africa during its G20 Presidency.
The meeting will bring together over 250 delegates, including representatives from G20 member states, invited countries, international organisations, government officials, and the media.
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, will launch G20 legacy projects at the second technical meeting of the ECSWG.
Fighting wildlife crime
The launch of the G20 legacy project, Rhino Renaissance Campaign, will demonstrate conservation efforts in fighting wildlife crime.
This will include a live demonstration of the dehorning of rhino process to be administered by the world-acclaimed South African National Parks Veterinary Services in the presence of the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, and a selected group of delegates.
The leaders will also embark on the G20 tree planting activity, a symbolic tree planting ceremony of 20 trees, one for each G20 member, outside the Nombolo Mdluli Conference Centre.
“This initiative forms part of South Africa’s National Greening Programme, which aims to plant 10 million trees over five years. It is a bold step toward addressing the Presidential imperatives on greening,” the statement read.
The leaders will also announce the school essay winners.
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