By Alistair Collier | From SA Golf Trader
World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5 June each year and stimulates awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and public action. This day is the UN’s most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since its inception in 1974, it has grown to become.
Above all, WED is the “people’s day” for doing something to take care of the Earth. That Al something”can have a local, national or global focus. Each WED is organized around a theme that focuses attention on .a particular environmental concern, the theme for 2021 is `ecosystem restoration.
Each year those golf club’s data which was included in the 14th John Collier Annual Survey is assessed for environmental compliance and good governance excellence. The winner for 2020-21 is LEOPARD CREEK situated near to Malelane in Mpumulanga Province of South Africa and Special Mention Awards to Montagu Golf Club in the Western Cape and Zwartkop Golf Club in Gauteng. The reviewers were really impressed with the level of detail and standards set in terms of good gdvernance and environmental compliance by the LEOPARD CREEK team and it is fitting that on WED the club was appropriately recognised. 2020 was a year with multiple crises, including a global pandemic, but what LEOPARD CREEK has done well is to link the practical application of ecosystem restoration and focus on its relationship with nature, and then take specific steps to move from crisis to healing: and in so doing, recognize that the restoration of nature is imperative for the survival of our planet and the human race. LEOPARD CREEK’s initiatives have contributed to fight the climate crisis and will help to prevent the potential loss of many species. Their activities will also. help to enhance food security, water supply and • livelihoods while !jutting the club in a position to move towards a carbon neutral environment.
LEOPARD CREEK’s winning this award cannot be achieved without the passion and commitment of many people who embrace the management benefits of sustainability, underpinned by good governance, environmental compliance and acknowledging the threats of climate change and the need to be on the road to zero carbon.
Therefore, in making this award to LEOPARD CREEK we also offer special congratulations to the club’s CEO Johan Piek and Course Manager Derek Muggeridge and their respective teams.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email ajcollier@telkomsa.net or visit the John Collier Golf website at www.johncolliergolf.com