The Norwegian Embassy and the Port Elizabeth-based Sustainable Seas Trust announced a four-year partnership towards achieving zero plastics entering the seas of Africa.
In a statement on Monday, the Sustainable Seas Trust said Norway would be providing "core funding" for its ambitious programme called 'Towards Zero Plastics to the Seas of Africa'which is aligned to 15 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations.
"The essence of zero plastics to the sea is to stop waste from going into the environment on land because only then will we stop it from going into the sea," said Dr Tony Ribbink, Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Seas Trust.
"Much of the work of Sustainable Seas Trust is going to be working with the municipalities, business, civil society, universities and schools, on land, so that we can make sure that zero plastics go to the sea".
Ribbink said this is the second partnership between SST and the Norwegian government, the first which began in 2018 in a feasibility study that proved to be successful.
"We are now working on a common objective to identify, measure and carry out programmes that are effectively delivering results. We are really thankful for the cooperation that we have between Norway and Sustainable Seas Trust," said Norway's ambassador to South Africa, Astrid Helle.
"We really value the work that is done both because it is such a comprehensive partnership and because of the enthusiasm and energy that Sustainable Seas Trust brings into this work," she said.
Ribbink said the expectations are that this programme will be rolled out in a number of countries, including Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles and Tanzania, with a view to achieving significant progress towards zero plastics in the ocean around Africa and taking it further into Africa.
