Cape Town based environmental organisation, I AM WATER, has won the prestigious Beyond Sport “Sport for Climate Action Collective Impact Award”, supported by the Swedish Postcode Foundation, for sharing ocean conservation and snorkeling experiences with thousands of students in South Africa. Beyond Sport announced the inaugural winners of their Collective Impact Awards, a brand … [Read more...]
Increasing water scarcity remains a deadly threat to SA’s poor
Today is World Water Day. South Africa’s water security continues to be vulnerable and has again come into focus following the findings of a UN report warning that global water scarcity is increasing. National Water Week, overlapping Human Rights Day and World Water Day, is serving to highlight findings in the United Nations World Water Development Report 2019 (WWDR) which … [Read more...]
Shock judgement in KwaZulu-Natal coal mining case
The incomprehensible judgement handed down by the Pietermaritzburg High Court yesterday morning dismissed with costs the application by Sabelo Dladla, the Global Environmental Trust (GET) and Mfolozi Community Environmental Justice Organisation (MCEJO). This will not go unchallenged. In essence, the applicants approached the High Court when their attorney found the mine had … [Read more...]
Unpacking the social and financial costs of SA’s energy plan
As the country braces itself for the National Treasury’s Medium-Term Budget, the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) joins other NGOs, faith leaders and citizens from around the country to present its comments on the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2018 proposed by the Department of Energy (DOE). In recent years, the IRP has been at the … [Read more...]
NGOs release list of world’s top coal plant developers
Four days before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) puts forward its special report on 1.5°C, NGOs have released a new list of the world’s top 120 coal plant developers. “Building new coal plants is an assault on the Paris climate goals,” says Heffa Schuecking, director of the German environment NGO Urgewald. “Our list names the top companies investors and … [Read more...]
Urgent action needed to remedy South Africa’s water crisis
In 2002 South Africa officially became a water constrained economy, when the National Water Resource Strategy reported that we had allocated 98% of our total water resource. Subsequent high confidence studies have shown that we over-estimated the water available at the time, so in short, we have allocated all the water that we have. This means that we are simply unable to grow … [Read more...]
First SA climate change ruling – minister guilty of not considering impact
In South Africa’s first climate change litigation the court’s key finding was that Earthlife Africa (ELA) was correct in claiming that the Minister should have considered the new power station’s climate change impacts before deciding whether to authorise it. On 8 March 2017, the North Gauteng High Court handed down a landmark ruling in Earthlife Africa Johannesburg’s (ELA) … [Read more...]
Storytelling workshop coming to Rosebank next week
Stories are a powerful way to share knowledge, change behaviour and inspire communities. The Sustainable Development Network invites the NGO sector to a Storytelling workshop held on 31 October in Rosebank, Gauteng. Many NGO, SMME and private sector staff members are so busy with day to day activities that they often forget to record their stories. They could present … [Read more...]
Ecuador Shuts Down Environmental NGO
Ecuador has closed a non-governmental environmental organization who were protesting against an Oil License Round after accusing it of interfering in political events. Ecuador's Interior Ministry said the NGO, known as Fundación Pachamama, was "affecting the public peace." The government alleged that Fundacion Pachamama was involved in a disturbance last week against members … [Read more...]
Eskom apologises for spying on NGOs
Eskom has apologised for using a private security company to spy on environmental bodies at the Medupi power station in Limpopo. In February this year, three environmental NGOs - groundWork, Earthlife Africa Jhb, and Greenpeace Africa quit Eskom's NGO forum following reports that Eskom contracted an intelligence company to spy on the them. After that, thousands of … [Read more...]
NGOs learn about fundraising & proposal writing
NGOs have a critical role to play in providing a variety of necessary services in South Africa. However, NGOs are often reliant on donor funding, from a limited number of donors, and their capacity to plan and implement resource mobilization activities is often inadequate. Furthermore, community-level organizations often lack the information, skills and discipline required to … [Read more...]
Project 90 by 2030 turns five
The cold, wet winter weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of the staff, associates and friends who gathered at the Two Oceans Aquarium on 15 August to wish Happy Birthday to the young and vibrant NGO, Project 90x2030. Reflecting on their first five years, Director Brenda Martin described her own transition from the development, education and gender sector into the … [Read more...]
Medupi the end of a dirty line?
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) South Africa is less than enthusiastic about the World Bank's approval of a $3,75-billion loan, primarily for the development of a coal-fired power station in South Africa. The decision fails to adequately recognise the opportunities for renewable energy development in South Africa or to provide specifics of how the claimed public … [Read more...]
