The Pretoria High Court has declared that the environmental approval for the planned 600MW Khanyisa coal-fired power station has expired. Khanyisa would have been built on the outskirts of Emalahleni, already plagued by toxic air pollution. The court order is effectively the final nail in the coffin for the proposed coal plant - backed by Saudi company ACWA Power - which has … [Read more...]
Joburg residents call for an end to fossil fuel investments
In anticipation of Standard Bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) vote today, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg and a large contingent of concerned citizens gathered outside the bank’s Head Office in Johannesburg to demand that shareholders call for an end to fossil fuel investments. The environmental justice organisation also calls on shareholders of Total SE, which has its AGM this … [Read more...]
Transition to renewable energy urgently needed
Yesterday morning, just before the crack of dawn, Earthlife Africa members joined residents of Lephalale in Limpopo in a small demonstration to create awareness of the threats from coal, and the impact this fossil fuel is having on communities in the area. Lephalale residents say, “We are very concerned about the coal industries in our region and how it affects us. Coal … [Read more...]
Job creation amid transition to a lower carbon economy
A transition to a lower carbon economy is occurring rapidly around the world and is critical for South Africa. The transition is being driven both by a realisation of the urgency required to save our environment and by economic reasons and comes with both positive and negative impacts on employment. These are some of the key highlights from a report – What a ‘just … [Read more...]
Methane gas a threat to SA’s climate commitments
In the wake of government’s indication that it intends to adopt gas as a transition fuel to get to renewable energy sources, the Green Connection has released a damning, and eye-opening research report on the effects of methane gas (CH4) emissions – the second largest cause of global warming – on the environment. The report reveals that the use of gas poses a real threat to … [Read more...]
Video lays bare negative impacts of proposed Limpopo development
From 28-30 April, the Delta Built Environment Consultants (Delta) will host public hearings on the Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) – a mega-industrial development proposed to be built in the Vhembe region of Limpopo. Many communities, businesses and individuals in the area and beyond are highly-concerned about the impacts that the plant will have on their … [Read more...]
SA youth picket in Joburg for Earth Day
On Earth Day 2021, the Climate Justice Action Group (CJAG) held a picket demonstration outside Gauteng’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) to call attention to the ongoing socio-environmental injustices that continue in South Africa. CJAG is a youth-based group facilitated by driven by Earthlife Africa Johannesburg to promote awareness of climate justice … [Read more...]
We can shape the climate future we want
One voice can change the world. South Africa is no stranger to the power of public participation in shaping society. But the country and the world now face an unprecedented challenge: the climate crisis. If left unchecked, it will destroy ecosystems and livelihoods, hurting the poorest and most vulnerable people. It is the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement on … [Read more...]
Limpopo communities demand action on air pollution
This morning, in a peaceful demonstration – that started at the crack of dawn at the Medupi, Matimba and Exxaro crossing – Earthlife Africa Johannesburg joined local community activists in Lephalale in Limpopo Province, to demand that the World Bank forfeits its loan to Eskom’s Medupi coal-fired power station for failing to install pollution-abatement technologies to help ease … [Read more...]
Coal power: 50% less jobs, 1000 times more destruction
As our new Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources fights to keep our economy in the dark ages, aided and abetted by a media sector credulous enough to repeat ‘clean coal’ rhetoric,* it’s worth trying to get a sense of the full damage being done. As a Minister, his duty is to a Constitution that aims to extend the human and socio-economic rights of all South Africans; but his … [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...]
Activists scale statues to protest deaths caused by air pollution
Activists from Greenpeace Africa scaled several iconic statues across Johannesburg and Pretoria this morning to demand action on air pollution. The activists fitted the statues with emergency gas masks to pressure the National Air Quality Officer to protect citizens’ right to clean air. Famous statues of the Mother with Child at Bree Taxi Rank, Brenda Fassie in Newtown, the … [Read more...]
Review of SA power utility reveals intentional deception
“Greenpeace Africa rejects with utter contempt Eskom's effort to downplay the massive health impacts of their noncompliance with air pollution legislation. Both decision-makers and the public deserve the truth. In the interests of millions of South Africans and our constitutional right to a healthy environment, no further postponements can be given to Eskom’s highly polluting … [Read more...]
