The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in South Africa, Dr. Ayodele Odusola, will mark this year’s World Environment Day by reflecting on 25 years of DFFE/UNDP cooperation, in Pretoria on Saturday 5 June 2021.

Over the last 25 years, the DFFE and the UNDP have teamed up on over 26 projects to address critical national priorities relating to the protection of the natural environment with the main focus on, amongst other things, climate change and energy to better the lives of South Africans and conserving the rich biodiversity. The UNDP has provided, in partnership with other stakeholders, the much-needed technical assistance and grant finance, as well as operational and management support.

While the theme for World Environment Day 2021 is: “Ecosystem Restoration.” the marking of 25 years of cooperation between DFFE and UNDP will be under the theme: Financing the Future of Nature, Climate and the Environment, and hereto, the role of development cooperation. This theme has a wide scope, encouraging wide interest and buy-in required to crowd in support for the DFFE budget agenda, and the wider national environmental agenda associated with COVID-19 economic reconstruction and recovery, inclusivity, and a just and socially equitable carbon transition.

Members of the media invited to attend and cover the event as per the details below:

Date:               Saturday, 5 June 2021

Venue:            SANBI, 2 Cussonia Street, Brummeria, Pretoria                

Time:               11:00

Virtual link:      https://zoom.us/j/97419520485?pwd=UFBKQTJ5N0U3R1VwVUVrenM1YnJ2Zz09

Passcode: 674376

Webinar ID: 974 1952 0485

To RSVP, contact Ernest Mulibana on 082 263 7273 / EMulibana@environment.gov.za / Peter Mbelengwa on 082 611 8197 / PMbelengwa@environment.gov.za

For media queries contact Albi Modise on 083 490 2871 / Peter Mbelengwa on 082 611 8197 / Ntokozo Mahlangu on 060 533 6760 (UNDP)

Issued by Government Communications (GCIS) on behalf of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment and The United Nations Development Programme

04 June 2021