A grant of R1, 7 million was approved towards this programme.

With 11 years of environmental education experience in South Africa, the Eskom energy and sustainability programme has moved specifically towards climate change issues. Supporting over 110 action-based projects nationwide, many young South Africans involved through the programme have integrated environmental learning with action in order to understand their role as global citizens, and have begun to make personal moves towards sustainable lifestyle choices. A total of 2 981 learners and 114 educators participate in these projects.  

Young people across the nation have taken up the challenge of environmental action for a sustainable future by implementing projects in their local areas. They have done this by exploring, researching, questioning, discovery, action, and reflection.

Eleven years of environmental education experience with active learning energy projects in South Africa have formed a strong base on which to move the programme forward into issues related to climate change through excessive global warming.

The 110 projects are based on local issues and personal choices by participants. It is reassuring to note that over the past recent years, the move toward carbon reduction projects has been a natural shift according to the preferences of the young people themselves.

The Eskom energy and sustainability programme is coordinated and implemented by an environmental NGO, The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa. This longstanding relationship coordinates local, youth-based projects through funding and environmental support and expertise. The projects are structured within schools and environmental clubs.

In order for a programme to be supported effectively, a strong base of educational resources should be available to support the projects. Energy issues can also be fraught with confusion and misinterpretation.

The WESSA and Eskom partnership has developed energy related resource materials to assist educators and supporters to produce good projects. In the past four years, the regional coordinators for the programme have worked together with the project leaders to produce six manuals to support active learning based on energy, sustainability and climate change.

The titles of the resource materials are:

• electrical auditing for homes and schools
• energy for keeps – renewable energy projects
• how to do an energy project
• electricity and the environment
• how to be earth friendly
• energy and the curriculum

In true collaborative spirit, these books are available to support other programmes and projects in
South Africa.

New directions for the Eskom energy and sustainability programme have also been carried out in the past years. Wise and effective use of funding is essential, and the integration of the Eskom energy and sustainability programme with other environmental education programmes in South Africa was identified as a focus for programme growth and development. Programmes such as the international eco-schools programme were highly active in some regions of South Africa where the Eskom energy and sustainability programme was not, and vice versa.

Collaboration worked well in such instances, and both programmes have benefited, deriving strength and support from each other. Integration between other Eskom programmes has also worked well, were the Demand Side Management (DSM) section has collaborated effectively to use resources and school support systems developed by the Energy and Sustainability Programme to spread the word for electricity efficiency.