Responding to its no-show at the ministerial meeting on a proposed global plastics treaty, Greenpeace Africa, groundWork and WWF have expressed deep concerns at the unwillingness of the South African government to showcase the country’s leadership and willingness to tackle plastic pollution on a global platform. As the world moves away from linear to circular economy models, … [Read more...]
Preferred bidder status investigation needed for Karpowerships
The Karpowership debacle heats up even more this week, as numerous interested and affected South Africans – led by environmental justice organisation, the Green Connection – sent a letter reiterating the call for urgent public hearings around the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), and specifically the choice to award preferred bidder … [Read more...]
SA’s revised climate plans are not ambitious enough
Life After Coal Campaign partners Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), groundWork and Earthlife Africa, along with several civil society groups, have submitted comments on South Africa’s draft updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) – the commitment to tackle climate change under the Paris Agreement. In written arguments submitted on 30 April 2021, ahead of … [Read more...]
Final nail in coffin for proposed Khanyisa station
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...]
Civil society calls for public hearings on Karpowerships
The DMRE has proposed Gas to Power Powership Projects at the Port of Ngqura Eastern Cape and in Saldanha Bay Western Cape and in Richards Bay. On Tuesday 20 April, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) will brief Parliament’s Portfolio Committee for Minerals and Energy to evaluate its proposed bids on the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers (RMIPPP), … [Read more...]
Clarity needed on safety of ‘plugged’ deep sea oil well
Following the announcement, last week, by oil and gas giant Total that it has “demobilised its Deepsea Stavanger drill rig along with all support vessels, after concluding its drilling activities on the exploration well Luiperd-1X in Block 11B/12B on 23 November 2020”, the Green Connection’s Neville Van Rooy says he is concerned about who will be held responsible for any … [Read more...]
Coal mining venture could wreck iMfolozi Wilderness Area
The final Spatial Development Framework for the uMfolozi Municipality has been released. The uMfolozi Municipality stretches from the southern borders of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park to the coast. Map 18 on mining areas shows the area identified for coal mining running along the southern border of the HIP. What is especially problematic is this paragraph from page 102 of … [Read more...]
Call for urgent clarification of SA greenhouse gas objectives
A range of civil society organisations are taking their call for urgent clarification of greenhouse gas emissions objectives to the Public Protector. The complaint regards failure to implement provisions on mitigation in the National Climate Change Response White Paper, adopted by Cabinet in October 2011; most particularly the setting of “desired emission reduction outcomes” … [Read more...]
No air pollution increases allowed for Kriel Power Station
Earthlife Africa (ELA), groundWork and the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) welcome the decision of Nkangala District Municipality (NDM) largely to refuse Eskom’s request to relax its atmospheric emission license for its Kriel Power Station in Mpumalanga. Eskom applied to amend the license in November 2013, notwithstanding that the MEC for the Mpumalanga Department of … [Read more...]
Activists chained to Eskom building
Greenpeace activists have chained themselves to the entrance of Megawatt Park, Eskom’s headquarters in Johannesburg. “Eskom is under new management,” the protesters announced in a banner dropped by a team of climbers, said Greenpeace spokeswoman Fiona Musana. The banner carried the logos of Greenpeace, groundWork and Earthlife Africa — organisations which campaign for … [Read more...]
Tragic World Bank decision leads to many questions
'This is a tragic decision,' said David Parry-Davies, environmentalist and editor of the yearly landmark publication Enviropaedia, about the news that the World Bank had approved a loan of US3,75-billion to Eskom to build a coal-fired power plant at Medupi, northern Limpopo. Shockwaves rippled through the South African green community, as David verbalized what many hard … [Read more...]
Peak Poison
Governments and corporations will gather in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007, to plot a way forward on climate change. Peoples' movements, and even main stream civil society organisations, are increasingly sceptical that they have the political will, imagination or wisdom to put people and the future of the planet ahead of corporate profits and economic growth. People's … [Read more...]
