Overview

Project 90 by 2030 was established as a national project of the Goedgedacht Trust in 2007, and registered as an independent NPO in 2013. The project's main purpose is to challenge South Africans to change the way they live and the way that they relate to the environment.

Purpose

Project 90 by 2030’s vision is to build a world that sustains humanity, where people are valued and earth systems are preserved. The project wishes to change individual behaviors as well as initiate and support more systematic change focusing on laws and policies that govern the way humans relate to the environment.

The purpose of the organisation's educational work is to raise awareness of environmental issues and activate agency amongst participants to shape their own energy use and actively engage with local and national environmental policies and issues. Education focuses on energy efficiency, renewable energy development, transport emissions reduction, sustainable waste management, and water conservation.

Target participants

In the Community Partnership Programme, Project 90 by 2030 works with communities and organisations throughout the country. These communities are often in rural impoverished areas. For example in KwaZulu-Natal, P90x2030 works with very poor households in two rural off-grid villages – Marianhill and Amandus Hill. They also work with environmental and conservation institutions such as the National Zoological Gardens and Botanic Gardens.

P90x2030 also works with Youth Clubs in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. These clubs are connected to Primary and Secondary Schools.

Focus areas

Project 90 By 2030 runs the following programmes in order to change ways of living, raise awareness and build advocacy capacities:

• Community Partnership Programme: building vibrant and sustainable communities, looking at issues of energy, water, justice and enterprise development.
• Communicating Change Programme: creating tools to inform, support and inspire people to change the way they live and engage with the environment.
• Policy & Research Programme: empowering citizens to influence policy and decision makers towards affordable access to renewable energy and efficient use of natural resources.
• Young Leaders Programme: assisting young South Africans to become environment-conscious leaders and inspire action e.g. by working with school children to take action in their schools and communities to reduce carbon footprints.

Approach

Project 90 By 2030 employs a participatory community engagement approach in their Community Partnership Programme. This means starting with what communities have and building from there. The programme encourages participation both in education and in everyday life asking people to actively shape their own and their community’s energy use, as well as advocating for greater awareness in communities. The organisation’s educational approach is also a combination of raising awareness and very practical action training.