President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed members of the inaugural Presidential Climate Change Coordinating Commission (P4C) with effect from 17 December 2020. The establishment of the Commission emanates from the Presidential Jobs Summit held in October 2018 when social partners agreed that a statutory body be formed to coordinate and oversee the just transition towards a … [Read more...]
National award for Mpumalanga recycling initiative
A Mpumalanga recycling project has received acclaim for improving the lives and livelihoods of Ermelo community members while making a positive difference to the environment. When Johanna Leshabane launched Bophelo Recycling in 2007 after being retrenched, little did she know that her dream of fighting unemployment in her community would evolve into an award-winning … [Read more...]
Food-grade rPET facility expands processing capacity
Extrupet has finalised the expansion of its food-grade recycled PET plant, increasing the current processing capacity from 20 000 to over 30 000 tonnes per annum, to facilitate the growing demand for rPET. As PETCO continues to believe that growth in rPET production and consumption is ultimately key to ensuring the sustainability of both the PET and recycling industry, rPET … [Read more...]
Renewable energy provides a stable energy source for all
The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on most industries, many of which have shed an unprecedented number of jobs since the global outbreak. But the renewable energy sector appears resilient in the face of it all and industry stakeholders believe that it will continue to remain “crisis proof.” Vivian Bluemel, Director of the GREEN Solar Academy, explains: “Unlike other … [Read more...]
Bold action and strategies required to tackle climate change
The City of Cape Town’s draft Climate Change Strategy is available for public comment from 1 to 30 September 2020. Climate change is a global threat and Cape Town is particularly vulnerable. Residents and interested parties are encouraged to please participate in this process. It is the City’s vision to create an urban environment that is climate resilient, resource … [Read more...]
Reopening local tourism to secure employment for many
Under lockdown level 3, many sectors have been allowed to trade or operate to some degree. However, the tourism and leisure sectors have remained closed for months, impacting on thousands of jobs and the finances and well-being of millions of South Africans. Reopening local tourism may contribute to securing employment for many, which would act as a lifeboat for vulnerable … [Read more...]
Let’s raise our voices and demand a just recovery for all
In July, the people that control the budgets of the world’s 20 richest countries – Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors – will meet to discuss how they will spend public money. In the midst of a global health pandemic, where people have lost so much, will they opt for a ‘business as usual recovery’ and bail out industries that drive climate crisis and inequality – or … [Read more...]
PET bottle recycling benefits the environment while creating income
Despite global market contractions, and now the rolling economic impact of Covid-19, South Africa’s PET plastic recycling value chain has kept its wheels turning, delivering another positive annual recycling rate while creating thousands of jobs for informal reclaimers who returned to work under level three of the national lockdown. According to new statistics released by … [Read more...]
Green New Deal can stimulate economic recovery and create jobs
While lockdown inadvertently helped to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, it is critically important that sustainability of the environment is at the heart of post-Covid-19 recovery efforts. This is according to the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI). “This is where the much-talked about Green New Deal (GND) becomes crucial and while it’s no panacea … [Read more...]
Finding economic and environmental solutions after covid-19
Post-Covid-19, there will be more pressure on governments, NGO’s, and the private sector to drive small economies in local communities. With an expected rise in unemployment, a bi-product of the forced global lockdowns, new ways to derive incomes are going to be key for survival, and especially in the poorer communities in South Africa. Green Corridors, the NPO which has … [Read more...]
Curbing SA’s unemployment problem with #ImStaying
In its first major move to focus on entrepreneurship and unemployment, ImStaying NPC together with The Lions Den launches the #ImStaying Entrepreneur Movement. They aim to lower the unemployment rate by 5% over the next 5 years. Start-ups, entrepreneurs, business owners, those thinking of starting a business, those who want to create a second revenue stream or a side hustle, … [Read more...]
New recycling project to create jobs in Limpopo
Residents in northern Limpopo are becoming eco warriors, thanks to a new campaign which aims to see environmental waste reduced and much-needed jobs created at the same time. A “separation at source” project is being rolled out in the towns of Thohoyandou and Sibasa in Limpopo’s Thulamela Municipality, thanks to a sponsorship of 200 waste separation bins worth over R160,000 … [Read more...]
Save the planet, work in sustainable energy
As students contemplate their next step in their careers in 2020, the energy sector offers current and future employment opportunities, as South Africa renews its efforts to create alternative energy sources (renewables) and better manage current energy production (coal-fired). This is the opinion of Barry Bredenkamp, General Manager for Energy Efficiency at the South … [Read more...]
