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SUSTAINABLE ENERGY NEWS NUMBER 10

4. SA Energy Bills & conferences

Air Quality Management Bill

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is hoping to have Cabinet approve a draft Bill for release for public comment at the last meeting of Cabinet in 2002 on the 4 December. The draft Bill will then be released for public comment almost immediately.

The Department has indicated that there are still a few issues that need to be finalised before the Bill can be sent to Cabinet. If these issues are not finalised before early december, the draft Bill will only go to Cabinet, and be released to the public, early in 2003.

The Department is currently drafting new legislation to repeal the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act, 1965. This new legislation shall incorporate pollution standards and establish time frames and mechanisms for compliance. For more information contact Tsietsi Mahema at (012) 310 3404

The World Wind Energy Conference and Renewable Energy Exhibition 2003

Cape Town, South Africa, 23-26 November 2003


The World Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition which will take place in the new Cape Convention Centre in Cape Town from 23-26 November 23-26, promoted by the World Wind Energy Association WWEA and organised by the African Wind Energy Association.

The World Wind Energy Association WWEA, has been founded in July 2001 to promote wind energy worldwide. It has attracted more than 50 members from 32 countries on five continents, of which the majority is drawn from national wind energy associations and scientific organisations. WWEA is also co-operating with the World Council for Renewable Energies in order to work for the substitution of all pollution and hazardous waste causing energy technologies.

To date the biggest WWEA event was the World Wind Energy Conference 2002 in Berlin from 2-6 July 2002, organised by the German Wind Energy Association BWE. Almost 600 visitors from 52 countries attended the conference to discuss the global perspectives of wind energy. In Berlin it became clear, that it is now time to discuss the political, economic and technical frameworks for the broadest possible dissemination of wind energy especially in the developing world and in Africa. The results of the Johannesburg WSSD demonstrated clearly that concrete steps have to be taken soon. Therefore the World Wind Energy Conference 2003 in Cape Town, supported by the South African Ministry for Minerals and Energy, will focus on the instruments and frameworks necessary to ensure the success of wind energy in these countries.

Africa has pioneering wind energy countries in the North and South of the continent (Egypt, Morocco & SA). Hopefully the Conference will raise awareness of the positive contribution of renewable energies to development and to the realisation that it can avoid international conflicts caused by limited fossil resources. South Africa may thus become an example for many African countries and may help to break through the vicious circle of depending on energy imports and higher debts prohibiting sustainable development. Contact Hermann Oelsner; AFRIWEA; TEL/FAX: +27 (0)22 492 3095

Conference on Local Authority Energy Strategies

Energy plays a central role in the functioning of cities. South African cities are, however, very new to the current energy debate. There are a few programmes which are starting to address some of the issues, such as Sustainable Energy for Environment and Development (SEED) Programme (a national capacity building and partnership programme focusing on low income energy issues) and the ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection campaign. South African cities have been focused on electricity distribution and there has been little to no coordination across related energy issues

Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) is proposing to hold a conference on Local Authority Energy strategies for March 2003. This conference would draw international and national participants together for inspiration and debate.

The conference would aim to:
  • Provide inspiration to the major stakeholders in South Africa's larger cities
  • Provide a forum for information sharing and debate
  • To initiate the development of local authority energy strategy programmes
  • To build a foundation for supporting the development of such strategies
For more information contact Sarah Ward at Sustainable Energy Africa: P O Box 261, NOORDHOEK, 7979 Tel : + 27 -21- 789-2920.


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