It is always encouraging to see larger retailers take active steps toward treading more lightly in their daily operations. The Shoprite Group now generates enough electricity to power over 1 100 households - 12 300 MWh of electricity - a year from solar energy, following the installation of rooftop PV (photovoltaic) panels at 19 sites in South Africa and Namibia. The … [Read more...]
The search for sustainable cotton
"We are at a unique stage in our history. Never before have we had such an awareness of what we are doing to the planet, and never before have we had the power to do something about that… The future of humanity and indeed, all life on earth, now depends on us." - David Attenborough. From David Attenborough to world leaders, we are hearing that the next decade will determine … [Read more...]
SA entrepreneurs grow ideas into successful businesses
Despite living in different parts of South Africa, Simphiwe Makapela, Kylie Davids and Luvuyo Gushu each began their entrepreneurial journey with one common goal in mind – exploring opportunities to develop successful businesses in the water, biodiversity and environmental sectors. Historically, entrepreneurs looking to venture into specialised sectors, such as water and … [Read more...]
Civil society calls for protection of Piatúa River
On November 26, a coalition of civil society organizations and law professors submitted an amicus brief to Ecuador’s Constitutional Court calling for the protection of the Piatúa River based on the Rights of Nature and Indigenous rights. The Piatúa River is under threat from a hydroelectric project that Ecuador’s government approved without the free, prior, and informed … [Read more...]
Entrepreneurs sought for growing Cape’s green economy
GreenCape and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), in partnership with Invest Cape Town, an initiative of the City of Cape Town, invite innovators and entrepreneurs with economically viable green economy innovation business ideas to enter the FNF GreenPitch Challenge 2019. Entries are open from Monday 18 November until noon on Friday 29 November. “The FNF is … [Read more...]
EWT reviews the biodiversity performance of SA companies
The National Biodiversity and Business Network (NBBN), an initiative of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), has released a report entitled Invitation to Join the Biodiversity Disclosure Project – A Study of the Biodiversity Performance of South African Companies. The report highlights the low biodiversity performance by South African companies and presents an opportunity … [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...]
Popular food store trials recycling vending machine
Imagine an intelligent reverse vending machine for depositing your waste, which identifies it for you as recyclable or not. This is now a reality. In line with its recent announcement to achieve zero packaging waste to landfill by 2022, Woolworths has now launched a customer trial of an integrated reverse vending machine in its flagship green store in Claremont. “It might … [Read more...]
Are South Africa’s shopping bags really being recycled?
Despite many claims to the contrary, the shopping bags of most SA retailers are not actually being recycled because of one additive. In spite of wording on their plastic shopping bags such as "Recycle me - set a trend" (Woolworths), "Reduce, reuse, recycle" (Pick 'n Pay & Shoprite) and "We love our country, please recycle" (Spar), these bags are not being recycled … [Read more...]
HSBC: what they’ve said about funding deforestation, and why it’s wrong
Over three weeks ago, we exposed how HSBC is funding palm oil companies that are tearing up Indonesia's forests. Since then, thousands of emails have been sent to the CEO. Now HSBC is responding to those emails, but what it's saying is at times misguided, and other times just plain wrong. More than 200,000 people across the world - including many HSBC customers - have … [Read more...]
76 Samsung workers dead after chemical exposure
Samsung deliberately kept secret the harmful chemicals its South Korean workers were exposed to, fearing its competitors would learn trade secrets. 76 workers are now dead. Most of the dead were in their 20s or 30s. One former worker—a breast cancer survivor—reported that Samsung brought in “uninformed kids” and treated them like they were “disposable cups.” Samsung … [Read more...]
Apple commits to zero environmental waste in China
Apple announced on Wednesday that all 14 of its final assembly sites in China are now compliant with UL (Underwriters Laboratories) zero waste standards. “It means that all the manufacturing waste from the 14 facilities is either reused, recycled, or composted,” said Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives at Apple. The tech giant now … [Read more...]
Comment sought on draft carbon-offset rules
National Treasury on Monday published the draft regulations on carbon offset in terms of the Draft Carbon Tax Bill for public comment and further consultation. The Carbon Offset Regulations were developed jointly by National Treasury, the Department of Energy and the Department of Environmental Affairs in terms of Sections 13 and 20 (b) of the Draft Carbon Tax Bill and sets … [Read more...]
