For the last year, Central and Eastern European governments have been pressuring the EU to include less restrictive criteria for biomass energy production and to recognise natural gas as a transition fuel towards climate neutrality. They may have realised their ambitions with the current draft of the EU Sustainable Taxonomy proposal. Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) will be … [Read more...]
Monoculture tree plantations are a false climate solution
Yesterday was the 16th International Day of Struggle against Monoculture Tree Plantations. In 2004, rural communities in Brazil declared the day to commemorate the resistance against the expansion of monoculture tree plantations in Brazil. Through solidarity statements and actions around the world the day has evolved to become an International Day of Struggle. This year, a … [Read more...]
EU must tackle forest destruction to reduce the risk of pandemics
While the world continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of Covid-19, WWF is calling for urgent action to address the key drivers it has identified which will cause future zoonotic disease outbreaks. In a new report Covid-19: Urgent Call to Protect People and Nature, WWF identifies a number of environmental factors which drive the emergence of zoonotic … [Read more...]
Fossil fuel phase-out: It’s time to say it loud and clear
Mixed signals about the future of fossil fuels are delaying climate action. The energy transition - and our planet - depends on absolute clarity, writes WWF's Jesse Fahnestock. The past weeks have seen the publication of the Global Renewables Outlook from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), as well as a variety of articles discussing how historically low oil … [Read more...]
Victory for nature and the rule of law in Bulgaria
The Bulgarian Supreme Administrative Court suspended the execution of Pirin National Park's new management plan, which would have allowed construction in 66% and logging in 48% of the national park and World Heritage Site. WWF-Bulgaria has been fighting to prohibit new logging and construction in Pirin National Park since November 2016, activities that would endanger many … [Read more...]
WWF calls for a halt to illegal wildlife trade
The world is currently grappling with the worst public health emergency in recent memory. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has brought the link between zoonotic diseases - those transmitted from animals to humans - and wildlife trade into sharp focus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the current COVID-19 pandemic, along with at least 61% of all human … [Read more...]
Let’s help Ayakha Melithafa get to Davos
Ayakha Melithafa, a 17-year-old climate justice activist from Khayelitsha has been invited to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland from 19-24 January 2020. There she will represent the youth of South Africa on a number of panels with world-renowned youth climate activist Greta Thunberg. The Forum brings together stakeholders to help address the greatest … [Read more...]
SA’s most environmentally responsible restaurants to be recognised
Entries have opened for South Africa’s most prestigious accolade for restaurants contributing to more socially and environmentally responsible practices. Introduced in 2016, the Eat Out Woolworths Sustainability Award acknowledges the restaurant that brings its customers seasonal, local and ethically sourced produce with minimal impact on the surrounding environment while … [Read more...]
UN decade puts focus on ecosystem restoration and climate change
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, declared today by the UN General Assembly, aims to massively scale up the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems as a proven measure to fight the climate crisis and enhance food security, water supply and biodiversity. The degradation of land and marine ecosystems undermines the well-being of 3.2 billion people and costs … [Read more...]
West Coast rock lobster court ruling “historic”
WWF has welcomed the Cape High Court's historic ruling on West Coast rock lobster, after many attempts over several years to engage with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). The court has upheld WWF's view that the decision to set last season’s Total Allowable Catch for West Coast rock lobster at an unsustainably high 1 924.08 tons was irrational, … [Read more...]
Health club chain tackles climate change
Virgin Active South Africa has partnered with the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) to sponsor a Net Zero Rating Tool. Committed to ZERO environmental impact by 2030 across its 143 clubs in Southern Africa, the health club group is already making operational changes to reduce water consumption and waste; switching to renewable energy to drive down carbon emissions; … [Read more...]
Rhino poaching stabilised in SA as threat spreads across continent
South Africa announced its first decrease in rhino poaching since 2007, but this slight improvement was offset by an alarming increase in the number of rhinos killed in neighbouring countries. South Africa’s Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, revealed that 1,175 rhinos were lost in South Africa in 2015 – slightly down from the record 1,215 in the previous … [Read more...]
Moving beyond the fossil fuel era
“We are living in a historic moment. We are seeing the start of a global transition towards renewable energy. At the same time, we’re already witnessing irreversible impacts of climate change. The talks and surrounding commitments send a strong signal to everyone – the fossil fuel era is coming to an end. As climate impacts worsen around the world, we need to seize on the … [Read more...]
