Design Indaba goes green

The Design Indaba Conference has become the first major carbon-neutral event in Africa. The Design Indaba and partners, in an undertaking known as the Carbon Standard, will calculate the carbon generated by the event and then plant trees to offset it. Conference-generated emissions are based on participants' long-term and local travel, as well as inputs such as local accommodation and the conference venue. Planting trees will reduce the environmental impact of the conference and allow organisers to offset greenhouse gases.

21 Feb 2006

The Carbon Standard is a collaboration between the Design Indaba organiser Interactive Africa, legal advisors Edward Nathan, accounting giant Price Waterhouse Coopers, award-winning NGO Food and Trees for Africa (FTFA), Toyota South Africa and petroleum producer BP, ranked among the 'greenest' companies in the world.

The Carbon Standard will indicate the total carbon emission generated by an event and trees neutralising these carbon emissions will then be planted in SA townships. Individuals, SMMEs, corporates and other interested parties will be able to follow the example of the Design Indaba by accessing a website and determining what the carbon cost of an event will be. Then they can offset it by paying for an equivalent greening in disadvantaged communities.

Interactive Africa MD Ravi Naidoo says: "We worked on the Carbon Standard as we wanted to maintain the highest standards for the Design Indaba - our conference was recently judged the best in the world by EIBTM in Barcelona - but we were also aware of the considerable resources that are consumed in such an undertaking.

"So the Carbon Standard is designed to offset the space, energy and paper used at the Convention Centre as well as the cost of carbon to fly the speakers and delegates to the event and to accommodate them at hotels in Cape Town."

Green partners

The partners involved in the Carbon Standard include:

Corporate law advisors Edward Nathan will verify all individuals, companies and institutions that apply to use the Carbon Standard and logo;

Interactive Africa, that developed the Carbon Standard concept in association with the other partners and launched it at the flagship event Design Indaba, will manage the marketing programme. This includes advertising, PR and sponsorships;

Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) will source and allocate trees to disadvantaged communities. FTFA works in partnership with government, the private and public sectors and civil society to improve the quality of life and environments for all SA communities through tree planting and organic food gardening. In the past 15 years FTFA has planted over 2.2 million trees for the poorest in SA and these efforts have been internationally acknowledge and rewarded.

BP, an official supplier to the Design Indaba, will be supporting the programme by providing its global expertise developed in this area. BP was the first petroleum company to publicly acknowledge the risks of climate change and took action to reduce emissions in line with the Kyoto protocol - the international treaty on global warming.

Toyota SA has supplied a fleet of hybrid vehicles to transport conference speakers. Fifteen Prius models (that produce half the carbon dioxide emissions of a petrol engine), one seven-seater Estima and two 14-seater Quantums will ferry 50 of the world's most creative designers, architects and other creative practitioners to and from the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Ground breaking

"This is a landmark programme that will allow everybody to play their part in taking responsibility for the environment and ensuring that their offices, schools, homes, meetings, events, conferences and other actions are carbon neutral."

The Carbon Standard consortium will calculate the carbon emitted by a range of activities that include copiers, computers, air conditioners, land and air travel, paper usage and other carbon impacts. Then they can work out how many trees will need to be planted to sink that carbon through photosynthesis - where trees convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen.

"The Carbon Standard is a very exciting project and it will be wonderful to work with such partners," says FTFA CEO Jeunesse Park. "It will assist us to respond to numerous applications for trees in disadvantaged communities. "The project will not only help in urban renewal with the planting of indigenous trees, but we also supply fruit trees when these are requested. This offers the additional benefit of food security."

Trees are selected to suit particular climatic zones - popular species include white stinkwood and karee - while fruit trees are deciduous or tropical depending on location.

Adam Gunn, an associate in Edward Nathan's environmental law department, adds: "Our role will be to look after the legal aspects and certification procedures of the project. We are proud to be associated with what we believe is a first of its kind in South Africa."

For further information on the Carbon Standard, go to: www.trees.co.za.