Dr Sue Taylor - WWF Climate Change Programme Manager

Taylor, whose interests have always revolved around people and biodiversity, is by profession a biologist, holding a PhD in Botany from the University of Natal. She has worked in the agricultural sector as a plant pathologist at the Mount Edgecombe Sugar Experiment Station, and then at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). In 1998 she decided to add Conservation Biology to her long list of academic qualifications and did a postgraduate diploma through the University of Witwatersrand. For the past seven years Taylor has worked for the Gauteng provincial government as the head of the Scientific Services Programme, in the Conservation Directorate of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment (GDACE).

Climate change has now taken top priority in her life, not over an above her family commitments, but because of them. It is Taylor's two children who she credits for her unwavering commitment to the development of a climate change programme in South Africa. "My children remind me daily that climate change will affect their generation and that of their children. This is something we need to focus on now, as the impact it will have is not thousands of years away, we are seeing the affects now and these will only get worse in the next 10 to 20 years."

Taylor sees climate change as a totally overarching subject of enormous complexity. "It seems that, thanks to thousands of scientists, hundreds of research agencies and NGO's, there is more information available on the Internet on this subject, than the millions of tons of carbon emissions coming out of South Africa's smoke stacks," she jokes.

"The contribution of thousands of scientific experts around the world has lead to the conclusion that climate change is a reality, that there will be impacts in every part of the world, but we still have time to manage the severity of these impacts." The issue has been slow to gain momentum in South Africa, something she's determined to change.

Taylor explains that South Africa is one of the top 15 emitters of carbon in the world, because of the country's coal-based economy. "Coal powered power stations are powerful emitters of CO2, yet for the foreseeable future, we are dependent on coal-generated electricity and coal-based fuels. South Africa needs to look for technology and governance solutions to reduce the carbon signature of the economy, and also seek to be part of the emerging global 'energy business sector' trading technology, products and carbon credits."

Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change, especially in terms of the impact of extreme weather events, continuing desertification of regions and increased spread of pests and pathogens due to warming. However, in general Africa also lacks many of the cash resources and skills to deal with these impacts. "South Africa is better resourced, but our challenge will be to deal with the huge 'carbon footprint' that our country imposes on the region," emphasizes Taylor. She is not, however, under any illusion that this is South Africa's only problem. "We still have to deal with other major issues in South Africa such as poverty and AIDS, as well as our growing economy, the daunting fact is that climate change is only going to complicate these matters further. This is scary stuff and Africa is going to pay the price if we do not step up and take action now."

Taylor cetainly seems the woman for this demanding and important job. Describing herself as 'slightly' intimidating' Taylor knows that she can take this programme to the next level ensuring that all South Africans are aware of their 'carbon footprint'. As a self-proclaimed 'demanding person' Taylor wants quick decisive action 'taken now' and emphasizes that decision making on her behalf will be swift and effective. With Dr Sue Taylor now involved South Africans can breathe easily that at last something effective and decisive is being done about climate change, at least in our small part of the world.