• To undertake research on environmental problems and sustainable development opportunities in South Africa generally and in the Western Cape in particular;

• To publish this and other research in an accessible format so that citizen groups, trades unions and other non-governmental organizations can act on environmental issues;

• To promote environmental awareness through educational programmes, seminars, workshops and conferences;

• To formulate appropriate policy options around environment and development issues and to actively lobby for their implementation;

• To build the capacity of community-based organizations to manage their own environmental resources.

Project Example:

The tendency for poorly managed agricultural land to become degraded and 'desertified' was recognized as a matter needing urgent action by governments worldwide at the Rio Summit in 1992 . A Convention was subsequently negotiated, followed by South Africa's commitment to develop a wide-ranging programme to halt desertification, primarily by helping those tending the land to understand the process of land degradation and adopt more sustainable land-use practices.