The Belgian Ecolo-Groen (Eco-Green) parties have been quick to seize the moment to propose establishing the crime of ‘Ecocide” in Belgium and in the wider international community, following French president Emmanuel Macron’s recent statement in support of making ecocide a crime. Belgian eco-green parties, in consultation with French legal expert and Stop Ecocide associate … [Read more...]
The importance of youth participation in environmental governance
South Africa’s democracy is a combination of a representative and participatory democracy, meaning we elect our representatives to govern our country on our behalf, but that public participation is entrenched as a crucial element in South Africa’s Constitution to ensure our growing democracy reflects the will of the people. Through public participation, South African … [Read more...]
New year’s resolutions for the planet in 2020
It’s that time of year again: Time to put 2019 — a tumultuous year of ups and downs for our planet — to bed and start fresh with renewed energy and vision for 2020. And there’s no better time, because 2020 is going to be a pivotal year for our planet. Five years into the adoption of the Paris Agreement, 2020 will mark the year where we assess our collective progress on our … [Read more...]
Media’s role in good environmental governance and public participation
Climate change, the main existential crisis of our day, remains under the public radar in 2019 South Africa. Inadequate media coverage is in part to blame. Whether or not South African media are reporting on the climate crisis and encouraging public participation, and how they do it, affects how the public perceives and engages on the issue. Climate change is already … [Read more...]
Whatever happened to South Africa’s new Green Deal?
There is a question mark in the headline precisely because whatever new Green Deal there was in the making in South Africa has come to a standstill. Elements of it were contained in the National Growth Plan (NGP), the National Development Plan (NDP), the Green Fund run by the Development Bank of SA (DBSA) and an endless caravan of policy papers, conferences and jamborees on the … [Read more...]
Mainstream climate response needed in all policy sectors
Fostering climate justice needs to be a priority at this election. Here is SAFCEI's summary of what our political parties say about climate change and hence how far we could trust them with our future: ANC DA EFF UDM COPE FF+ IFP GOOD Green Party ACDP SRWP It looks at the extent to which the political parties have serious plans to ensure … [Read more...]
How political parties plan to address climate change
“We urge South Africans to #VotefortheEnvironment when they head to the polls on 8 May. Citizens must choose leaders who recognise the urgency for climate change action and prioritises it in its policy agenda. We need a political party that stops protecting big business, but instead develops policies that will protect the environment, protect our workers and empower our … [Read more...]
Green Party aims for harmony between humans and the environment
The Green Party of South Africa is standing for the Western Cape provincial elections this year. The party's core goal is to have humans live in harmony with each other and our environment. It is an ideology shared to some level by every citizen of this country – from those who wish they could end poverty for others, or for themselves, end animal cruelty, etc. and for those … [Read more...]
SA’s Green Party: educating to empower
The Green Party of South Africa's manifesto is inspired by the fundamental right of justice to all, as manifested in the values that are shared by Green Movements around the Globe. In particular, the Ten Key Values of the Green Committees of Correspondence, as applied to the unique South African political, social and economic environment. 1. A System that Works It is a … [Read more...]
Russia-Ukraine crisis seeps into UN climate talks
Ukraine is no longer allowed to cooperate with Russia at the UN climate talks, ending one of the firmest bonds around the negotiating table. The crisis between the two former Soviet states broke out earlier this year, when Russia annexed Crimea in response to Ukraine’s decision to pursue a closer relationship with the EU. Since then, Ukrainian negotiators have been … [Read more...]
UNESCO publishes climate change guidebook for journalists
African media can and should do more to tell the story of climate change, observes a new UNESCO publication, titled Climate Change in Africa: A Guidebook for Journalists. “This guidebook is part of UNESCO’s overall effort to raise awareness of the interdisciplinary core of climate change, and how journalists can reflect that in their practices”, says Fackson Banda, UNESCO … [Read more...]
Green Party enters Zambian politics
After fifteen years of fighting to protect the rich natural resources, environment and landscape of Zambia, Peter Sinkamba, president of Citizens for a Better Environment has decided it is time to swap his activist hat for a politician’s. Sinkamba, an Ashoka fellow and manager of a million dollar environmental fund for Zambia, has decided the country would benefit from his … [Read more...]
Doha talks fail to meet pace of climate change
Greenpeace condemned politicians today following the failure of the UN Climate talks in Doha. While they agreed to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, it was judged so full of loopholes as to have little or no effect on carbon emissions. Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, made the following statement: “Today we ask the politicians … [Read more...]
