Hotel group, Southern Sun and Miss Earth South Africa, have recommitted to their partnership for another year.
Catherine Constantinides, Executive Director of the Miss Earth South Africa Leadership Development Programme said: “We are celebrating 20 years of the Miss Earth South Africa this year, and we are delighted to renew our enduring partnership with Southern Sun, which has been the official home of the Miss Earth South Africa since 2013.”
With a focus on solution-oriented environmental education and awareness, the programme works with young women, tackling the micro and macro concerns about climate change and environmental sustainability, including food security, waste management and protection of the oceans, among others.
“By working with young women throughout the country, we are developing a generation of role models who take action on the ground and inspire lasting positive change in our communities. Environmental education and awareness are critical in combating climate change and the legacy of the programme, which speaks for itself, is evident in the results of the many effective projects we have initiated over the last two decades,” she said.
Candy Tothill, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brands and Marketing for Southern Sun, added: “Using natural resources responsibly and minimising waste are important to our long-term sustainability, and we make every effort to manage our hotels with due care to limit our impact on the environment. Awareness and education are important to the delivery of our environmental management objectives, and our partnership with Miss Earth South Africa has proved to be an effective means of assisting with this.”
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, this year’s Earth Day project saw Miss Earth South Africa plant 20 wild olive trees donated by Wildlands at Ormonde Primary School south of Johannesburg. Since 2003, Miss Earth South Africa has planted 53 218 trees in South Africa, and this number continues to grow.
