Absa will become SA's first bank to voluntarily develop a comprehensive policy on climate change. This follows the historic tabling of a climate-change risk resolution at Standard Bank's AGM last week and is another sign the issue is likely going to dominate agendas in company boardrooms in the future. “We are very concerned about the reality of climate change, its dire … [Read more...]
SA’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy open for public comment
South Africa’s Minister of Environmental Affairs, Nomvula Mokonyane, published the draft National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) on 6 May 2019 for public input and comments. Members of the public can submit their written input and comments by 5 June 2019. This strategy should be South Africa’s master plan to deal with climate change that aims to provide a common … [Read more...]
If not addressed, climate change will shift political power structures
Preliminary Election 2019 results show that the African National Congress (ANC) has maintained its position as the country’s governing party despite the party’s lack of focus on the critical issues of our time – namely climate change and environmental degradation – in their manifesto. According to an environmental and social justice coalition, the ‘new’ government has the … [Read more...]
Join the fight for renewable energy in Africa
Africa doesn’t need fossil fuels to reach its development. As the least responsible, but yet most vulnerable to climate change, Africa must follow upon the Climate Vulnerable Forum pledge made by 16 African governments in November 2016 to accelerate the transition towards an economy powered by 100% renewables. Our fight against fossil fuels is a pathway to a united African … [Read more...]
Scientists test radical ways to fix earth’s climate
Scientists in Cambridge plan to set up a research centre to develop new ways to repair the Earth's climate. It will investigate radical approaches such as refreezing the Earth's poles and removing CO2 from the atmosphere. The centre is being created because of fears that current approaches will not on their own stop dangerous and irreversible damage to the planet. The … [Read more...]
UN Chief warns ‘total disaster’ if global warming not stopped
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the world must dramatically change the way it fuels factories, vehicles and homes to limit future global warming. The alternative "would mean a catastrophic situation for the whole world." Guterres said he was about to tour Pacific islands to see how climate change was devastating them as part of his renewed push to … [Read more...]
SA plans to put a positive spin on global warming
The draft National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) is intended to provide "a common vision of climate change adaptation and climate resilience" for SA, with an outline of priorities. South Africa's masterplan to deal with climate change will come with something of a mixed message, according to a slick new draft of the document published on Monday. On the one … [Read more...]
Green activists are being dragged down by lawsuits and murder
Despite the global environmental crisis confronting our planet, environmental activism has become a dangerous activity. In many countries, environmental defenders are harassed, attacked or even killed for speaking out and mobilizing against projects that threaten the health and livelihood of communities. The latest tactic is nuisance lawsuits, as a new report about South … [Read more...]
Climate crisis forces us to ask: to what do we devote ourselves?
During the times when I’m being as emotionally honest with myself as I’m capable — when I truly ponder the idea that this industrialized version of our species may well have already baked enough warming into Earth’s life-supporting biosphere that all of us may very well be on the way out — I feel at a total loss as to what to do. From that point of numbness, my life force … [Read more...]
SA taken to court after doubling coal emission limits
South Africa’s government is facing a legal challenge over its decision last year to double the amount of sulfur dioxide that coal-fired power plants and refineries can emit. groundWork, an environmental non-governmental organization, filed the challenge against Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane and President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Pretoria High Court, saying … [Read more...]
Indonesia has to find a new capital as Jakarta sinks
Jakarta is a victim of climate change, the fault of humans the world over (though mostly the fault of corporations), but it’s also a victim of its own policies. The city is sinking—a process known as land subsidence—because residents and industries have been draining aquifers, often illegally, to the point that the land is now collapsing. Read the full article at Wired. … [Read more...]
Mainstream climate response needed in all policy sectors
Fostering climate justice needs to be a priority at this election. Here is SAFCEI's summary of what our political parties say about climate change and hence how far we could trust them with our future: ANC DA EFF UDM COPE FF+ IFP GOOD Green Party ACDP SRWP It looks at the extent to which the political parties have serious plans to ensure … [Read more...]
UK MPs pass a motion to declare a climate emergency
MPs have passed a motion making the UK parliament the first in the world to declare an “environment and climate emergency”. The symbolic move – recognising the urgency needed to combat the climate crisis – follows a wave of protests launched by the Extinction Rebellion strikers in recent weeks. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (photographed) called for the motion to “set off a … [Read more...]
