COP 17 delegates drink tap water
2011-11-28 19:34
Durban - There was minimum use of bottled water at Durban's Albert Luthuli convention centre during the first day of an international climate change conference on Monday.
When delegates from countries where tap water is not regarded as clean were served water in jugs, they asked whether it was safe to drink.
Most attendees had no problem swigging back the Adam's Ale from a tap once it was explained to them the water was perfectly safe.
The reduction of bottled water was one of Durban’s initiatives to help reduce the use of energy - and preparing bottled water uses a lot of energy, say activists.
Centre staff have also erected water coolers - all filled with tap water - throughout the venue.
Delegates were impressed by what they saw at the 17th Conference of Parties, dubbed COP 17.
"We are very impressed with what they have done. It shows they have put a lot of effort into lower[ing] their carbon footprint during this huge conference," said Tasneem Essop of the World Wide Fund for Nature.
- SAPA
