“Global warming isn’t something that’s going to be solved only by South Africa, it has to be a global enterprise and unless we begin to deduce the levels of consumption, it will be very difficult to shift production rules so that’s why I am pleased about our (DUT) students, they’re saying let’s deduce the amount of energy we are using and address it through a transformation process and change the way we use energy and address this issue of consumption,” said Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ahmed Bawa.

He was delivering the opening remarks at the second annual International Conference of the Journal of the Green Economy and Development, taking place at the Makaranga Lodge in Kloof, yesterday, which is on until today, 10 July 2015.

The conference is being hosted and organised by DUT’s JGED, with partners and sponsors being Dr Mahmoud Youssef-Baker from the Iqraa Trust, Eskom KwaZulu-Natal, DUT business incubator Invo Tech, academics from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in the UK, Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality, Rhodes University, University of South Africa and the Institut für Wirtschaftswissenschaft, Erlangen in Germany.

Professor Sibusiso Moyo, Research and Postgraduate Support Director at DUT, reiterated that as a university (DUT), the aim is to be at the cutting edge of green technology and identified this area as a research focus. “This area cuts across all other areas where we are already making an impact in water, nanotechnology, enzyme technology, food and nutrition security, peace studies, indigenous knowledge systems and plant drug discovery and systems science,” she said.

Also speaking at the plenary session, chairman of Iqraa Trust, Dr Mahmoud Youssef-Baker, spoke of the role NGO’s played in highlighting the issue of global warming. “I do hope as an NGO (Iqraa Trust), we can play a role in creating awareness of the risks and facts that global warming is causing to the whole world and in this country, and we hope to work with the universities, put pressure on government as well as other NGO’s and policy makers, to introduce economic and public policies to protect the environment and encourage research and development about the environment,” he said.

The day was broken into two sessions where issues such as climate change, green energy, agricultural economics and renewable energy were tackled. Prof Kaehler gave his keynote address on the issue of renewable energy and energy efficiency tracks and spoke of renewable energy not impeding economic growth.

Other speakers presenting papers included Mr FC Prinsloo from DUT who addressed the role of floating solar systems in the energy-land use nexus and basing his case study on the potential for South African wineries. Other highlights included Cabangile Ngwane’s research paper on exploring the role of agriculture to food security in a selected rural area in Eshowe. Her issue focused on the role of agriculture to improve food security in order to alleviate poverty. “There is a need to adopt green agriculture in order to produce organic produce,” she added.

The second session addressed issues on climate change, environmental sustainability and quality of life.

The day culminated to an end with a gala dinner for all the dignitaries and to say thank you to all the sponsors and co-hosts for their contributions and making the event possible.

– Waheeda Peters

Pictured: Dr Mahmoud Youssef-Baker (Iqraa Trust), Principal and Vice-Chancellor of DUT, Prof Ahmed Bawa, Juergen Kaehler and Prof Carolyn (Tally) Palmer, at the conference.