On November 12th, people across the world are taking to the streets to demand real climate justice as the 27th annual United Nations Climate Summit (COP27) takes place in Egypt. Here in South Africa, we will join the Global Day of Climate Action. We will stand in solidarity with people across the globe, with Egyptians struggling for simple civil and political freedom, and … [Read more...]
Colonising climate justice and neocolonial appropriation
Gandhi is famously quoted as saying, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." A step in the progression that seems missing though, is how your opponents will try to appropriate your language and pretend that a win for them is a win for the cause. When it comes to questions of climate justice, anti-imperialism and decolonisation, … [Read more...]
Civil society protests against offshore oil and gas exploration
Civil society organizations, together with fisher communities, held a protest in Paarden Eiland outside Cape Town Harbour on Monday. The protest, organised by The Green Connection, is in response to the government’s continued promotion of fossil fuel projects in South Africa’s oceans. The call is for the President to end all extractive offshore oil and gas projects, as these … [Read more...]
It’s time to uproot the DMRE
Solutions to South Africa’s crippling energy and climate crisis exist. Yet they are being blocked by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) under the leadership of Minister Gwede Mantashe. Mantashe’s DMRE is holding back a rapid and just transition to renewable energy - the fastest, most affordable way to solve load shedding. Instead, they are working to lock … [Read more...]
Imagining a just recovery in South Africa
For many climate justice advocates, the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic is unsurprising, as it mirrors the very systems and structures that underpin the climate crisis. A new report by the Institute for Economic Justice, 350Africa and the Climate Justice Coalition attempts to show the way to a Just Recovery. The Covid-19 pandemic has drastically altered the lives of the … [Read more...]
