WHY we do what we do

There is growing global awareness around the fragile state of our planet. The ever present threat of significant Climate Change is testament to this fragile state. Years of exploitation, pollution and willful destruction have degraded our planets life support systems – its “ecosystems.” These ecosystems – oceans, rivers, wetlands, forests, grasslands, etc. – have been seriously damaged, and the unsustainable lifestyles of the growing global population are putting further pressure on these systems.

There is little doubt that we are at an environmental tipping point. However, contrary to the message conveyed in the popular media, this is not about the extinction of the Polar Bears or Snow Leopards. It is about the very real threat to human kind’s survival – as we know it!

Within this context South Africa is interestingly placed. It is a land of contrasts. Renowned internationally for its spectacular natural beauty and biodiversity, it is also renowned for having one of the highest number of citizens affected by HIV / AIDS, high levels of poverty, poor education standards and a disproportionally high per capita carbon footprint. The starkest contrast is represented by the significant difference in quality of life and basic services that characterize South Africa’s middle and upper class communities, versus those that characterize South Africa’s peri-urban, squatter and rural communities. On the positive side, South Africa is blessed with relatively intact ecosystems. Government, Corporate and Civil Society leadership have also recognized and acknowledged the looming threat of Climate Change and the importance of nurturing and restoring the health of our ecosystems, as a buffer to possible changes. They have also recognized the unique opportunity that this presents in the form of the ’Green Economy,’ and the associated ‘Green Jobs’ that can be stimulated through the process of harnessing the Green Economy opportunity.

As one of South Africa’s leading environmental organizations, the Wildlands Conservation Trust are committed to supporting the building of a Green Economy.