WESSA Annual Report 2023-2024

Advocacy

A Advocacy is at the heart of our mission to Educate, Advocate, Act. As a voice of environmental stewardship, WESSA strives to influence policy, raise awareness, and drive positive change that empowers communities and protects our planet.

Our advocacy efforts focus on creating a strong platform for dialogue, ensuring that the voices of vulnerable communities are heard in discussions about environmental policies and practices. Environmental issues often intersect with social justice, affecting the most vulnerable communities. Our team works in collaboration with local communities and members to promote a just transition towards sustainability, where every individual can thrive in harmony with nature.

This team comprises WESSA staff work ing in collaboration with volunteers from each of our membership regions. They are collectively represented on WESSA’s Board-appointed Environmental Governance Committee (EGC), which was initiated in 2018 and is currently chaired by Dr Gary Koekemoer. The EGC proactively and reactively collaborates to engage and respond to issues of regional, national, and international significance within our three themactic areas and guided by our response filter. The EGC also develops WESSA’s policy on critical conservation and environmental issues. Additional volunteers, seconded experts and staff support the EGC in a wider group known as the WESSA Advocacy Group. WESSA is highly appreciative

of the dedicated, passionate efforts of its volunteers and staff who contribute many valuable hours of expertise in responding to issues of concern. The EGC is undertaking a review of existing WESSA policies and/or formulating new policies on nine key issues, including Conservation, Agriculture, Pollution, Water and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity. Our members had an opportunity this year to comment on the draft Mining and Energy policies, which are currently being finalised for submission to Board for approval. These policies aim to address our stance on coal, oil and gas mining, nuclear energy, fracking, renewables and offshore mining. The EGC aims to complete this consultative

Sewage plume from marine outfall pipe, Green Point, Cape Town

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WESSA ANNUAL REPORT 2023 – 2024

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