Thandile Zonke, a climate and energy campaigner and commissioner at the presidential climate change commission, is leading an initiative to translate climate change terminology into local languages in South Africa. Zonke believes that decoding climate change terminology is crucial to empower communities and influence policy. She notes that many people engage with climate issues in their second or third language, primarily English, which can create a barrier to understanding and participation.
According to Statistics South Africa, English was the fifth most spoken language in the country in 2022, accounting for 9% of the population. In contrast, Zulu was the most widely spoken language at 24.4%, followed by Xhosa at 16.3%, Afrikaans at 10.6%, and Sepedi at 10%. Zonke argues that using local languages can help communities understand and engage with climate change issues more effectively. She also notes that new terminology is emerging around climate change, such as carbon bombs and carbon budgets, which need to be articulated in vernacular languages.
Zonke's initiative aims to engage with communities to identify existing terminology they use to describe climate change and its impacts. She recognizes that not all terms can be directly translated, but believes that using local languages can help convey the nuances and feelings associated with climate change. Zonke also plans to involve language experts in the decoding process and secure funding to make the project possible. Her goal is to make climate language legible to people in their native languages, enabling them to participate in policy consultations and interact with decision-makers.
The project is part of a broader effort to advance the just transition and ensure that no one is left behind in the energy transition. Zonke believes that using indigenous languages can help communities understand and own the language around climate change. She plans to host a series of community meetings, or imbizo, across the country to get buy-in from communities and integrate climate change terminology into local languages. This approach can help create a collective project where communities can influence the climate conversation.
Zonke's vision is for communities to understand climate change terminology and how it translates into their lives. She believes that seeing community-created terminology reflected in decision-makers' language would indicate that communities are influencing the climate conversation. Zonke's experience as an activist, including her involvement in the Wild Coast case against Shell's seismic testing, has informed her approach to community engagement and the importance of considering spiritual and cultural rights in environmental decision-making.
The initiative also aims to address the challenge of technical terms feeling inaccessible to communities, particularly those who may not be fluent in English. Zonke recognizes that the just transition is happening, and communities need to be at the table to define the language and communicate their needs and aspirations. By using local languages, communities can participate more effectively in policy consultations and decision-making processes.
Zonke's project has the potential to shape climate policy debates in South Africa by making climate change terminology more accessible and inclusive. The initiative's success will depend on securing funding and engaging with communities, language experts, and decision-makers. If successful, the project could serve as a model for other countries to adopt similar approaches to climate communication and community engagement.
Key points
- Thandile Zonke aims to decode climate change terminology into vernacular languages to empower communities and influence policy in South Africa.
