Even though it will be the biggest international gathering ever held in Africa, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) will leave the host city, Johannesburg, cleaner and greener. The "Greening the WSSD" Initiative will ensure that the Summit is organized along environmental "best practice" lines and that minimal waste is generated by the 60 000 delegates expected to descend on Johannesburg.
The "Greening the WSSD" Initiative has three main aims:

1. To help the organisers of theWSSD and its suppliers to develop policies and practices that will ensure that the way they operate during the WSSD conforms to environmental "best practice";
2. To implement and demonstrate best practices in waste management, water conservation, energy efficiency, and transport systems; and
3. To raise public awareness of environmental issues by exhibiting successful sustainable development projects

Specific areas of intervention under the auspices of the Greening Initiative include:

" Ensuring that the almost R400 million (US$ 34 million) worth of services and materials procured for the WSSD comply with are an environmental best practise framework, in terms of policy and manufacture.
" Ensuring that the over 200 old busses used in Johannesburg for the conference, are fitted with catalytic converters to reduce emissions.

" Undertaking an evaluation /assessment of the main conference venues and certain key hotels to ensure best environmental practise is being implemented especially regarding energy efficiency and water conservation. " Ensuring effective waste management at the WSSDby encouraging the use of reusable and recyclable materials.

" A campaign has been launched in partnership with Future Forests - a carbon-offset company - to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions generated from theWSSD, particularly those from the travel of delegates, are offset through compensating investments into energy-saving technology in South Africa.

" The Gauteng government is running the Bontle ke Botho campaign to find the cleanest school, cleanest ward and cleanest town in the province. The campaign will cover 450 wards, 2 500 schools and 16 municipalities in the province.

" A campaign has been launched to get the South Africa hospitality industry to operate in an environmentally responsible way. The Imvelo Awards will recognise the efforts of establishments that have implemented specific programmes in the areas of waste management, air quality, water management, energy efficiency, community involvement and protection of the natural environment.

" Gauteng-based projects that demonstrate the principles of sustainable development will be exhibited at WSSD venues. Tours will be run for delegates to view several of these projects in the field to allow delegates to see the challenges that are part of pursuing sustainable development in South Africa.

" Five thousand volunteers who will assist with the running of the WSSD and hosting the delegates will be trained in the principles of sustainable development and environmental best practice.

" A "Sustainable Development Barometer" will give delegates a daily update on consumption of natural resources used during the WSSD.

" Sustainable development evaluations will be held -- before, during and after the WSSD-- to measure the impact of the WSSD on the environment and the success of efforts to reduce waste, water and energy usage.

" Lessons learnt during the efforts to "green" the WSSD will be written-up in a Lessons Learnt Report, which will be used to help organise future international conferences in a sustainable way.

Funding for the Greening the WSSD Initiative has been supplied by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment (DACEL) of Gauteng Province, the Global Environmental Facility and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Technical assistance is being provided by these institutions and by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Country Office.

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