It is now six years since Fossil Free SA first called on the University of Cape Town (UCT) to phase out all investments in climate-destroying fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. In those six years, the global fossil fuel divestment movement has grown from a handful of institutions to well over a thousand, including New York, Paris, London, our own city of Cape Town; a whole … [Read more...]
Financing the future: a global climate divest-invest summit
From 10 - 11 September, faith leaders, foundations, university administrators, activists, health care organizations, and municipal governments will convene at Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town for Financing the Future: A Global Climate Divest-Invest Summit. The Summit is the world’s first major conference on the role of Finance in tackling the climate crisis to be held in the … [Read more...]
Celebrating the passion and dedication of women in forestry
It's time to celebrate women in forestry. With more than 320 years experience among them in a variety of roles, these women show that no job is off limits as long as you have the passion and dedication required. “Some have dedicated their lives to the sector, others are just at the start of their career, but all have one thing in common – the wish to dispel the myth that … [Read more...]
SA falling behind on renewable energy
South Africa is falling behind on renewable energy project implementation, even as other nations accelerate their plans for green energy. According to data from Greenbyte, a renewable energy management systems manufacturer, SA lags far behind fellow BRICS country China which has 188 232MW (megawatts) of wind power capacity and 106 921MW of solar energy capacity. SA has … [Read more...]
Absa puts climate change on the agenda
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...]
Standard Bank tables first SA shareholder resolution on climate risk
Standard Bank’s Notice of Annual General Meeting, released on 17 April 2019, includes a resolution proposed by shareholders that would require the bank to prepare a report on its exposure to climate risk in its lending, financing and investment activities. This is the first time that a South African company has tabled a shareholder resolution on any climate-related issue. … [Read more...]
Replace shaky fossil energy with reliable sunlight
Eskom energy is shaky. First you have it, then you don’t. In the bigger scheme of things this is a good thing. We need to shift off fossil fuels anyway to save the climate. The more they charge us for energy, the better our motivation to take the plunge and do the sideways jump to renewables – essentially free power. Barring your installation of course. There is only one way … [Read more...]
SA makes positive step by dropping nuclear expansion plans
Environmental NGOs welcomed South Africa's decision to scrap the plan on boosting energy supply from nuclear plants, and expressed hope that further steps will be taken by the country in embracing renewables, in comments to Sputnik. On Monday, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe released the draft Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) for South Africa for the period up to 2030, which … [Read more...]
The time has come for The Big Shift
Recent hurricanes in the Caribbean and the United States and devastating floods across South Asia are a stark reminder of the horrors that climate change will unleash if left unchecked. In 2016, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said that inaction on climate change 'would spell disaster for us, for our children and for the planet.' And yet, the World Bank Group continues to … [Read more...]
UCT Convocation wants fossil fuels divestment
On Tuesday 28 February, the Convocation of the University of Cape Town overwhelmingly passed a non-binding motion for the university to rid itself of all investments in fossil fuels within five years. Should the university Council agree to this motion, it would make UCT the first African University to formally commit to divesting from fossil fuels. Convocation is a statutory … [Read more...]
Conference brings together Africa’s leading women in energy
The third annual Women in Energy conference, organised by the Africa Energy Indaba, will bring together Africa’s leading women in the energy sector on Monday 20th February at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The Africa Energy Indaba was the first energy conference on the continent to launch a specialised event for the promotion and empowerment of women in the … [Read more...]
Will Eskom join the renewable energy party?
South Africa is the 11th most attractive country in the world for renewable energy investment, revealed a recent story by Ernst and Young. Yet Eskom CEO Brian Molefe, during his State of the System briefing in Cape Town, claimed that Renewable Energy is a ‘disappointment.’ In response Greenpeace has said: “Greenpeace condemns the anti-renewable energy propaganda coming … [Read more...]
How to save the planet from gold mining
Diamonds are supposed to be forever, however it’s the human love affair with gold that has been truly lasting. For thousands of years, since even before the time of King Tut, gold has been prized for its beauty and value. It’s no wonder, then, that so much gold is sitting in jewelry boxes and central bank vaults. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 171,300 tons of gold … [Read more...]
