Following the devastating impact which the Covid-19 pandemic has had on South Africa and the world, governments, corporates, and citizens collaborate to focus on a green economic recovery. This is a result of the pandemic being inextricably intertwined with global environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, climate change, air and water pollution. The South African … [Read more...]
South Africans plan mass global demonstration
The immense socio-economic impact under one of the world’s most extreme lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in South Africans uniting for their voices to be heard under a grassroots movement called Move One Million. The movement, launched in July 2020, has garnered interest from half a million South Africans to date and organisers are using a combination of … [Read more...]
Improve your energy efficiency this winter while keeping warm
South Africans can keep warmer, save money, and take pressure off the national grid by implementing simple low-cost energy saving measures. This call from Barry Bredenkamp, General Manager Energy Efficiency & Corporate Communications at SANEDI, (the South African National Energy Development Institute). “While South Africa has passed the winter equinox, meaning our days … [Read more...]
Women encouraged to become players in the energy sector
DMWA Resources, a pan-African energy marketing & investment holding, endorses the gender equity campaign, Equal by 30, which aims to encourage women in the clean energy sector to access equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunities. Alongside 6 partner organisations, DMWA increases the total of signatories to 144, including 118 organisations, 13 partners and 13 … [Read more...]
New fund aims to grow green businesses in SA
The Green Outcomes Fund (GOF), a first of its kind structure, incentivises local South African fund managers to increase investment in green businesses. Through a partnership officially signed on 31 January 2020 between National Treasury’s Jobs Fund and GreenCape, the R488m fund provides outcomes-based matched (concessional) funding to local investment funds to support … [Read more...]
Fossil fuel divestment: will UCT finally heed the call?
It is now six years since Fossil Free SA first called on the University of Cape Town (UCT) to phase out all investments in climate-destroying fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. In those six years, the global fossil fuel divestment movement has grown from a handful of institutions to well over a thousand, including New York, Paris, London, our own city of Cape Town; a whole … [Read more...]
Financing the future: a global climate divest-invest summit
From 10 - 11 September, faith leaders, foundations, university administrators, activists, health care organizations, and municipal governments will convene at Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town for Financing the Future: A Global Climate Divest-Invest Summit. The Summit is the world’s first major conference on the role of Finance in tackling the climate crisis to be held in the … [Read more...]
Celebrating the passion and dedication of women in forestry
It's time to celebrate women in forestry. With more than 320 years experience among them in a variety of roles, these women show that no job is off limits as long as you have the passion and dedication required. “Some have dedicated their lives to the sector, others are just at the start of their career, but all have one thing in common – the wish to dispel the myth that … [Read more...]
SA falling behind on renewable energy
South Africa is falling behind on renewable energy project implementation, even as other nations accelerate their plans for green energy. According to data from Greenbyte, a renewable energy management systems manufacturer, SA lags far behind fellow BRICS country China which has 188 232MW (megawatts) of wind power capacity and 106 921MW of solar energy capacity. SA has … [Read more...]
Absa puts climate change on the agenda
Absa will become SA's first bank to voluntarily develop a comprehensive policy on climate change. This follows the historic tabling of a climate-change risk resolution at Standard Bank's AGM last week and is another sign the issue is likely going to dominate agendas in company boardrooms in the future. “We are very concerned about the reality of climate change, its dire … [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...]
Replace shaky fossil energy with reliable sunlight
Eskom energy is shaky. First you have it, then you don’t. In the bigger scheme of things this is a good thing. We need to shift off fossil fuels anyway to save the climate. The more they charge us for energy, the better our motivation to take the plunge and do the sideways jump to renewables – essentially free power. Barring your installation of course. There is only one way … [Read more...]
SA makes positive step by dropping nuclear expansion plans
Environmental NGOs welcomed South Africa's decision to scrap the plan on boosting energy supply from nuclear plants, and expressed hope that further steps will be taken by the country in embracing renewables, in comments to Sputnik. On Monday, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe released the draft Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) for South Africa for the period up to 2030, which … [Read more...]
