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Climate Change News

Water company helping to combat climate change

By: Lynne Jackson 4th March 2016 With meteorologists claiming that the current drought in South Africa is because El Niño is preventing moisture reaching the sub-Saharan Africa region, water service provider Mega Water states that the country will have to consider decentralised water treatment, the capturing of rainwater and the... →

COP 21 agreement raises justness concerns

By: Lynne Jackson 4th March 2016 Although Engineering News reported in January that the twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP 21), held in Paris last December, had been lauded as better than any other international climate change meeting, the media has reported that there has been controversy regarding the justness of the... →

CLIMATE CHANGE
The meeting at COP 21 reached an agreement to keep the global temperature below 2˚C, which was adopted by 187 member nations

Photo by Bloomberg
CLIMATE CHANGE The meeting at COP 21 reached an agreement to keep the global temperature below 2˚C, which was adopted by 187 member nations

Wetlands, water conservation key to environment

By: Lynne Jackson 4th March 2016 With wetlands being essential to the ecosystem, owing to water being a precious resource to mankind, the second annual Flufftail Festival, held last month in Johannesburg, highlighted the need to preserve water, wetlands and endangered waterbirds (especially the rare and critically endangered... →

CLEANING UP WATER RESOURCES BirdLife South Africa's CEO says wetlands are essential to the ecosystem

Water efficiency programme in first stages of development

By: Nadine James 26th February 2016 Recognising the socioeconomic strain caused by the current drought and following the successful implementation of its Industry Energy Efficiency (IEE) project, the national resource efficiency programme National Cleaner Production Centre, South Africa (NCPC-SA) is developing an Industrial Water... →

KEVIN CILLIERS The National Cleaner Production Centre regional manager says that ts new programme will help alleviate South Africa's water scarcity

Water problems will continue – consultancy

By: Nadine James 26th February 2016 Factors, such as climate change and dam sedimentation, as well as a skills shortage in local government, water boards and water utilities, will continue to impact on water security after the drought ends, says civil engineer and consultant for engineering services firm WSP∣Parsons Brinkerhoff... →

PURIFIED? Consultant says that half of all the water treatment facilities are underperforming

Automotive industry highly unlikely to show growth in 2016 – KPMG

By: Simon Sonnekus 19th February 2016 The lacklustre economy, consumers’ desparate financial position and affordability of vehicles are three key areas that will stunt the growth of the South African automotive industry this year, says audit, advisory and tax services firm KPMG. According to KPMG automotive sector partner Gavin... →

GRIM YEAR AHEAD FOR MOTOR INDUSTRY
The weakened economy has made the auto motive market less conducive for buying and even operating vehicles

Photo by Duane Daws
GRIM YEAR AHEAD FOR MOTOR INDUSTRY The weakened economy has made the auto motive market less conducive for buying and even operating vehicles

Below-normal rainfall worsening drought across Southern Africa

By: Natasha Odendaal 12th February 2016 The drought in Southern Africa could become one of the worst on record should the current below-normal rainfall continue, the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme said this week. The El Niño conditions presently being experienced in the region had resulted in a 35-year rainfall low between... →

Aviation emissions standard to come into force in 2020

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 11th February 2016 Following six years of negotiations between governments, the aviation industry and environmental group observers, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) has designed the world’s first carbon dioxide (CO2) efficiency standard for aircraft. The standard, which would come into force... →

Premier energy event a must for energy businesses

By: Nadine James 5th February 2016 Africa Energy Indaba (AEI) MD Liz Hart says the value of attending the eighth yearly AEI is that industry stakeholders will meet the right people who can decide on energy transactions and implement them. →

DOING DEALS AND TAKING NAMES The Africa Energy Indaba is a great place to liaise with potential clients and create new partnerships

Local governments must play bigger role in energy sector

By: Nadine James 5th February 2016 Local governments, as key decision-makers in urban development and planning, need to be more involved in the development of a sustainable energy sector, says research organisation Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) director Mark Borchers. →

ENERGY POVERTY Sustainable Energy Africa enables municipalities to implement sustainable energy strategies

Agribusinesses becomes more attractive investment asset class

By: Tracy Hancock 28th January 2016 Agriculture was becoming a preferred investment destination, said financial services group Standard Bank secondary agriculture senior manager Bertie Hamman this week. “By investing in agriculture, you lay the cornerstone of all economic and social upliftment initiatives by helping to ensure that... →

Drought to impact WC agriculture production by 10% – report

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 26th January 2016 The ongoing drought conditions in the Western Cape will reduce animal, crop and horticultural production by as much as 10%, which will have a significant impact on the price of consumer goods, Western Cape Economic Opportunities Minister Alan Winde warns. At a Minister and Members of Executive... →

Shell Eco-marathon winners eye London event in 2016

By: Donna Slater 22nd January 2016 Following its win at this year’s Shell Eco-marathon, BMW Eco Team Pro from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) plans to attract more sponsors for the project to participate abroad, particularly at the 2016 Shell Eco-marathon in London. →

BMW ECO TEAM PRO The BMW Eco Team Pro, consists of engineering students from the University of Johannesburg

City of Cape Town to procure electric buses for MyCiTi service

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 20th January 2016 The City of Cape Town plans to issue a tender for the procurement of electric buses for the MyCiTi service, in line with its commitment to lowering carbon emissions, mayor Patricia de Lille said in a statement published on the city’s website on Wednesday. “Since its inception in May 2010, the... →

W Cape applies for drought relief as national agri losses hit billions of rands

By: Natalie Greve 20th January 2016 Reiterating that the drought is likely to cost South Africa billions in trade losses, as well as result in a 42% decrease in national agricultural production, Western Cape Economic Opportunities Minister Alan Winde has made dealing with the impact of the drought his “foremost priority”.... →

AfriForum launches campaign to support farmers in drought-hit provinces

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 8th January 2016 With South Africa experiencing the worst drought conditions in some 20 years, and the North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Free State provinces already declared drought disaster zones, renewed action plans have been enforced to assist these areas. Civil rights movement AfriForum... →

US EPA sues VW, Audi and Porsche for alleged Clean Air Act violations

By: Henry Lazenby 5th January 2016 The US Department of Justice on Monday filed a federal court civil complaint in Detroit, Michigan on behalf of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against German automotive manufacturers Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche, collectively referred to as Volkswagen. The complaint alleged that... →

Food security alert for millions in Southern Africa

By: News24Wire 23rd December 2015 The strongest El Niño weather phenomenon in 18 years is set to cause food shortages for about 6.3-million people in drought-stricken Southern Africa in 2016, a special alert warned this week. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) issued a special alert on Tuesday, warning that a... →

Zuma lauds S African contribution to COP21 treaty

By: Natalie Greve 14th December 2015 President Jacob Zuma has congratulated the delegation representing South Africa at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in France, following the adoption of the new Paris Agreement on climate change. Late on Saturday evening,... →

African Development Bank to expand climate funding avenues

By: African News Agency 11th December 2015 The African Development Bank (AfDB) is planning to expand the Climate Development Fund for Africa into a trust in a bid to open up international investment avenues to advance the continent’s readiness for climate-resilient, low-carbon development and green growth. The announcement was made on... →

20 years on, Working for Water still making jobs, ecological impression

By: Anine Kilian 11th December 2015 The Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA’s) Working for Water (WfW) programme, which was launched in 1995 by former Department of Water and Forestry Minister professor Kader Asmal, celebrated 20 years of existence last month. According to a statement released by the DEA on the 20th... →

Johannesburg air quality under research spotlight

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 10th December 2015 A collaboration agreement between the City of Johannesburg, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and IBM Research would see the application of advanced technologies to help the city deliver on its air-quality management plan. Through this agreement, researchers from IBM South... →

SA not part of large coalition for legally binding climate deal

By: African News Agency 10th December 2015 As nearly 200 countries grappled with the new draft text of what’s hoped will be the world’s first universal accord to battle climate change and its effects, a coalition of nations representing more than 100 countries emerged, to push for a more ambitious deal than most other nations are seeking.... →

S African, French agencies to cooperate on nuclear development

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 2nd December 2015 The Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa has signed a cooperation agreement with the French Nuclear Society to foster the advancement of science and technology in the area of nuclear energy, as well as knowledge-sharing between experts from both countries. The parties stated that the... →

Climate change already affecting SA, Presidency

By: African News Agency 30th November 2015 South Africa is already feeling the negative effects of global warming, the Presidency said on Monday ahead of the Paris climate change summit. In a statement the Presidency qouted Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa as saying: “The impacts of climate change affect everyone, and will... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Edna Molewa

Technology seen as key to mitigating climate change impacts in agriculture

By: Zandile Mavuso 27th November 2015 In the midst of the current drought crisis facing South Africa, Global Forum for Innovation in Agriculture (GFIA) believes that there is a need for urgent long-term, sustainable, innovative solutions that will help mitigate the impact of climate change, in order to achieve food security in the... →

World Bank to represent Africa climate change plan at COP21

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 25th November 2015 The World Bank on Tuesday unveiled a new plan that calls for $16-billion in funding to help African people and countries adapt to climate change and build up the continent's resilience to climate shocks. The Africa climate business plan, titled ‘Accelerating Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon... →

South Africa’s climate change goals could lead to business uncertainty – PwC

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 23rd November 2015 South Africa’s goal to close the gap between business-as-usual carbon intensity from 4.7% a year to 1.5% a year is ambitious and is starting from a very high base – the highest of the Group of 20 (G20) countries, a PwC report has shown. PwC’s Low Carbon Economy Index outlined that the country’s... →

Industry body prioritises clean fuels legislation

By: Mia Breytenbach 20th November 2015 Driving the introduction of clean fuels legislation, which will facilitate the use of extra-heavy and heavy commercial vehicles emitting low-carbon emissions, and the localisation of some truck parts and components, are key areas being pursued by the Heavy Commercial Vehicle Division of the... →

PROGRESS IMPEDIMENT
The current lack of clean fuels legislation and clean fuel availability influences the introduction of new, lower carbon emission truck models and technologies

Photo by Duane Daws
PROGRESS IMPEDIMENT The current lack of clean fuels legislation and clean fuel availability influences the introduction of new, lower carbon emission truck models and technologies

World leaders still coming to Paris for climate talks

By: News24Wire 19th November 2015 At least 80 world leaders are still expected in Paris on November 30 for the opening of global climate talks, despite the terrorist attacks on France, the head of the United Nations' (UN's) climate change programme said Wednesday. "COP21 continues as planned," Christiana Figueres told a press... →

S Africa prepared for COP21 climate change talks

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 13th November 2015 The level of ambition contained in South Africa’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), which was submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCCC) Secretariat well ahead of the twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP21), is an affirmation of the... →

Photo by Duane Daws
President Jacob Zuma

US, S Africa launch low-emissions development initiative

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 12th November 2015 To assist South Africa in reducing its greenhouse-gas emissions, while promoting economic development, a $15-million, five-year US Agency for International Development (USAID) South Africa-Low Emissions Development (SA-LED) initiative was launched on Thursday. The programme sought to bridge the... →

Climate change to hit poorest countries, people hardest – World Bank

By: Megan van Wyngaardt 9th November 2015 An additional 100-million people could be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030, as climate-related shocks and stresses, already a major obstacle to poverty reduction, worsen, a new World Bank report warns. The report, titled ‘Shock Waves: Managing the Impacts of Climate Change on Poverty’ found... →

Photo by Bloomberg
World Bank president Jim Yong Kim

Outa says no to further tax hikes

By: Anine Kilian 6th November 2015 Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) chairperson Wayne Duvenage has said the organisation would oppose the proposed tax increases that Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene had indicated are on the cards for 2016. “Not on our watch. Until government tackles the squandering, maladministration and... →

Outa chairperson Wayne Duvenage

South Africa pressing ahead with four-phase carbon-capture plan

By: Anine Kilian 6th November 2015 More than 90 per cent of South Africa’s energy consumption is derived from fossil fuels – resulting in the release of more than 400-million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year. While there is no doubt that increased energy production is necessary to ensure economic growth and development, South... →

SA prepares for COP21

By: Creamer Media Reporter 5th November 2015 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online Natalie Greve about South Africa’s views on the upcoming climate change talks at the twenty-first Conference of the Parties. →

SA prepares for COP21

S Africa lambasts developed countries’ stance ahead of COP21

By: Natalie Greve 2nd November 2015 Four weeks ahead of the twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Paris, Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has come out against what she describes as a reluctance by developed nations to agree to ambitious... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Edna Molwewa

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