Media statement - 30 July 2012
Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba address Business Community of Tshwane
30 July 2012 - Public Enterprises Minister, Malusi Gigaba today urged the business community of Tshwane to join 49M, South Africa’s energy efficiency campaign.
49M is an Eskom initiative, endorsed by government and business partners, spurring an urgent need for the entire South African population to embrace energy saving as a national culture, and to reduce the current energy consumption by 10% through change of behaviour.
Speaking at the business breakfast held at the Sheraton Hotel in Tshwane, Minister Gigaba said there was a great need for businesses to implement energy efficiency technologies and processes to enable organisations to achieve 10% electricity saving and more.
He further urged, and that each organisation to implement communication campaigns to create awareness of 49M among staff members and other stakeholders.
Minister Gigaba said: We remain resolute in our efforts and commitment to ensure that we keep the lights on during this supply-constrained environment we are currently in. Accordingly, we continue to rely on all South Africans both individuals and corporates, to continue reducing demand and saving electricity by implementing the tips we regularly give through the media in order to continue keeping the lights on. We cannot do this alone; we need every single one of the 49 million South African population and more to act together with us,” said the minister.
Gigaba noted that the corporate sector is the biggest consumer of electricity and that strong partnerships supporting the cause for energy efficiency needed to be forged in order for South Africa to grow and create sustainable energy supply.
Minister Gigaba’s said: The business community is an important constituency to our economy and eskom, a partner of 49M.Private companies are collectively the country’s largest user of electricity, with eskoms key customers accounting for 41.4% of the energy supplied each year. The 49m campaign also needs your assistance if we are to keep the lights on for all South Africans.”
While becoming a partner to 49M only involves the signing of a pledge which is a commitment from the organisation that it will implement energy efficiency, benefits to partners include having unrestricted access to fresh, different and stimulating content on energy efficiency.
