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Climate Change News

Use COP26 to position South Africa as destination of choice for rapid decarbonisation investment – Moosa

By: Terence Creamer 29th July 2021 Deputy chair of South Africa’s Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) Valli Moosa has presented an upbeat assessment of the country’s ability to position itself as a preferred global destination for foreign and domestic decarbonisation investment. Speaking during a hydrogen-focused webinar on... →

Creecy calls on rich countries to dramatically raise climate finance pledges from $100bn ‘floor’

By: Terence Creamer 27th July 2021 Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has called on the developed countries to ensure access to long-term, predictable and affordable climate finance for developing countries. Creecy participated in a July Climate Ministerial meeting hosted in London, in the UK, this... →

Photo of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy

Hybrid solar installation completed in Zimbabwe

By: Halima Frost 23rd July 2021 The active partnership between South Africa-based solar solutions provider Blockpower SA and German-managed microgrid integrator Dhybrid has resulted in the completion of a 1.4 MWp, 1 MVA, 480 kWh hybrid solar system at an agriculture estate, in Zimbabwe. The Tanganda Tea Company, which operates... →

Large solar plant at an agriculture estate Zimbabwe

OFF GRID The hybrid solar installation installed by Blockpower SA and Dhybrid was tailor made for the client in Zimbabwe

Report suggests 10% reuse of plastics will halve such ocean-going litter

By: Donna Slater 22nd July 2021 A key finding of the ‘Future of Reusable Consumption Model’ report suggests that it is possible to prevent almost half of yearly plastic ocean waste by reusing just 10% of all plastics consumed, as an integral part of the reduce-reuse-recycle agenda. The report – a collaboration between... →

Challenge launched to promote solutions that address marine plastic waste

By: Donna Slater 21st July 2021 Innovation foundation Nesta Challenges has launched the Afri-Plastics Challenge as part of its efforts to find African innovators with scalable and sustainable solutions to prevent plastic waste from entering the marine environment in sub-Saharan Africa. The challenge involves a public... →

Treasury publishes amendments to the Carbon Offsets Regulations

By: Simone Liedtke 20th July 2021 The National Treasury has published the Gazetted amendments to the Carbon Offsets Regulations in terms of Section 19 (c) of the Carbon Tax Act. The Carbon Offsets Regulations set out the eligibility criteria for carbon offset projects, a procedure for taxpayers claiming the carbon offset... →

Carbon emissions to reach record levels in 2023 as stimulus spending fails to match net-zero ambition

By: Terence Creamer 20th July 2021 The financial resources allocated by governments globally to clean-energy measures in response to the Covid-19 crisis currently represents only 2% of the $16-trillion in total fiscal support set aside for economic stimulus, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) new Sustainable Recovery... →

IEA executive director Fatih Birol

Global Alliance’s Green New Deal working to advance transformative policies

By: Simone Liedtke 19th July 2021 A new Global Alliance for a Green New Deal brings together 21 politicians from around the world united in the belief that targets, although important, “don’t change things, policy does”. Launched on July 19, the Global Alliance sees each of the contributing lawmakers already working to advance... →

Holistic strategy needed to tackle growing marine plastic crisis

By: Donna Slater 16th July 2021 As the marine ecosystem plays an critical role in mitigating climate change, through absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), cooling the environment and sustaining delicate marine wildlife, it is becoming increasingly important to mitigate a mounting problem – the leakage of plastic waste into Oceans and... →

Image of Engineering News and Mining Weekly 16 July 2021 cover.

EU carbon adjustment mechanism may do little to mitigate climate change, Unctad warns

By: Simone Liedtke 15th July 2021 The European Union (EU) carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) could change trade patterns in favour of countries where production is relatively carbon efficient, but do little to mitigate climate change, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) has warned. A report... →

How climate change is driving adoption of technology in agriculture

By: Marleny Arnoldi 9th July 2021 Environmental phenomena such as climate change and its manifestations, including extreme weather events, are featuring more prominently on the risk radar of investors, banks and commercial farmers, as agricultural activity intensifies in order to provide sufficient food for a growing population.... →

Green Climate Fund contributes $170m to African energy access programme

By: Marleny Arnoldi 7th July 2021 The board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $170.9-million in financing for the African Development Bank’s (AfDB’s) Leveraging Energy Access Finance Framework (LEAF) programme. The programme aims to unlock commercial and local-currency financing for decentralised renewable energy... →

Kenya's KenGen says CERs for sale more than double

By: Reuters 6th July 2021 Kenya's largest utility said on Tuesday its certified emission reduction credits (CERs) available for sale had more than doubled to over 550 000. A CER is equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide and they are part of emission reduction efforts under the Kyoto Protocol. →

Sasol, IDC team up to stimulate South Africa’s green-hydrogen industry

By: Terence Creamer 5th July 2021 JSE-listed Sasol and the State-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) have signed a memorandum of cooperation to jointly advance South Africa’s green-hydrogen economy. In a joint statement, the two companies said the memorandum recognised that South Africa was in a unique position to... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Power lines with Sasol's Secunda complex in the background

Climate change makes early flood warning more vital, says SRK

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 2nd July 2021 With extreme weather conditions posing an increasing threat to lives and assets, South Africa’s disaster management capacity needs to include better early warning systems for key risks such as flooding, consultancy SRK Consulting says. SRK Consulting senior civil engineer Natasha Ramdass says... →

Natasha Ramdass

Climate Commission sees no downside to more ambitious emissions pledge

By: Terence Creamer 2nd July 2021 South Africa’s Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) has recommended that government make an improved carbon-reduction commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and should also confirm a long-term target of... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Energy transition to have a net positive effect on jobs

2nd July 2021 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about a new report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency that shows that an energy transition aligned with a 1.5°C-compatible climate pathway will have a net positive effects on job creation and... →

Energy transition to have a net positive effect on jobs

Itochu partners with Shell to lower its mining sites’ carbon footprint

By: Donna Slater 1st July 2021 Petrochemicals company Shell International and Tokyo-headquartered investment firm Itochu Corporation have agreed to collaborate to accelerate the digitalisation and decarbonisation of Itochu’s mining sites, as well as increase the operational efficiency thereof. Shell will offer its sectoral... →

Climate finance to low-, middle-income countries reached $38bn in 2020

By: Schalk Burger 1st July 2021 Climate finance committed by major multilateral development banks (MDBs) reached $66-billion in 2020, with 58%, or $38-billion, of that committed to low- and middle-income economies, the 2020 Joint Report on MBD Climate Finance, shows. Nearly $50-billion, or 76%, of total MDB climate finance in... →

Foundation drives development in Africa from ‘clean’ perspective

By: Marleny Arnoldi 29th June 2021 Climate change interventions have immense potential to unlock new development pathways on the African continent, which necessitates that climate change be brought to the forefront of development thinking and planning in Africa, says the African Climate Foundation (ACF). The foundation, during a... →

MTN joins new coalition to drive green actions

By: Natasha Odendaal 28th June 2021 Information and communications technology group MTN has joined the Every Action Counts (EAC) coalition, which aims to empower one-billion “green champions” by 2025 and harness the power of green consumer behaviours to enhance biodiversity and climate efforts. The new coalition, launched by the... →

Toyota’s Van Zyl warns of ramifications of EU’s Green Deal on South African exports

By: Irma Venter 25th June 2021 Europe’s Green Deal is not just a vision or idea, but a well-funded policy that is being implemented, and that is set to have a wide-ranging impact on South African exports, says Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) executive chairperson Dr Johan van Zyl. Van Zyl stepped down as Toyota Motors Europe... →

Environment dept, partners working to finalise proposal on EBA disaster risk reduction measures

By: Yvonne Silaule 24th June 2021 The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is working with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) and the National Disaster Management Centre to finalise a proposal on ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) disaster risk reduction measures to assist vulnerable... →

Decentralised power projects on a positive trajectory, says Nedbank CIB’s Peo

By: Donna Slater 24th June 2021 The South Africa power sector is undergoing a major shift towards decentralised power projects as a “massive energy crisis” grips the country, says Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) infrastructure, energy and telecommunications head Mike Peo. Speaking during an Infrastructure Africa... →

South Africa Presidential body recommends lower emissions target

By: Bloomberg 22nd June 2021 A panel appointed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recommended that the world’s 12th-biggest producer of greenhouse gases improve its target for reducing emissions, three people familiar with the matter said. In a draft report, the Presidential Climate Change Coordinating Commission,... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

South32 reiterates Paris Agreement, net zero carbon commitment

By: Simone Liedtke 22nd June 2021 Diversified miner South32 has reiterated its commitment to the Paris Agreement objectives, with the miner committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In May, South32 announced its target to achieve a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 operational emissions by the 2035 financial year. To... →

South32 CEO Graham Kerr

Carbon capture helpful decarbonisation tool – investment professionals

By: Martin Creamer 21st June 2021 Carbon capture and storage is one of the tools in the toolkit that needs to be included in the decarbonisation mix if the world is to reduce emissions effectively over a reasonable time horizon. That is the view of Carbon Infrastructure Partners president and managing partner Craig Golinowski,... →

Carbon Infrastructure Partners president Craig Golinowski interviewed by Mining Weekly’s Martin Creamer: Video: Darlene Creamer

Kenya utility joins global emissions project, plans carbon trade

By: Bloomberg 18th June 2021 Kenya Electricity Generating Co, Africa’s largest geothermal producer, joined a United Nations-backed emissions-reduction programme as it looks to begin a domestic carbon market. KenGen, as the State-run company is known, announced its participation in the Business Ambition for 1.5°C programme on... →

Strong policy needed to grow a green biofuels industry

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th June 2021 To ensure that the South African biofuels industry grows sustainably, World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) Bioenergy programme manager Tjaša Bole-Rentel says there needs to be a differentiation at policy level based on each biofuel’s environmental impact. Biofuels have the potential... →

BIOFUEL POWERED DELIVERY VAN Biofuels can burn cleaner but are not climate neutral

Association offers value to stakeholders

By: Nadine Ramdass 18th June 2021 Stakeholders in the biofuels and biogas industry can advocate for better legislation and connect with other stakeholders by being active members of associations such as the Southern African Biogas Industry Association (SABIA). The association also makes it possible for stakeholders and interested... →

BIOGAS FACILITY ON FARM Anaerobic digestion converts hazardous organic waste

Rolls-Royce announces net zero emissions plans

By: Donna Slater 17th June 2021 Power and propulsion engineering company Rolls-Royce has announced its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, at the latest. The company’s actions and the development of new low-carbon technologies will enable the users of such products to, in turn, lower their carbon emissions,... →

Global stock-taking report points to only modest renewables gains in total final energy consumption

By: Terence Creamer 15th June 2021 A new international stock-take of the global transition to renewable energy highlights an “alarming gap between targets and actions” with the share of fossil fuels in energy consumption failing to decrease for the tenth consecutive year in 2020, despite a 4% Covid-linked fall in demand. Published... →

VW CEO chides G7 Leaders for failing to set coal phase-out date

By: Bloomberg 15th June 2021 Volkswagen’s CEO criticized Group of Seven (G7) leaders for failing to set a firm date to phase out coal power, saying it’s senseless to let electric vehicles run on dirty energy. “That’s not enough, @G7. Disappointing outcome,” VW CEO Herbert Diess tweeted Tuesday. “We need to exit coal much... →

Transformational investing a challenge for developing nations – investment panel

By: Donna Slater 14th June 2021 Africa presents a unique case for the type of transformational investing that is required for sustainability, to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to panellists participating in a Sanlam Investments Forum on... →

Fluor repositions South African unit to support energy transition drive

By: Terence Creamer 14th June 2021 Global engineering and construction company Fluor, which has been closely associated with South Africa’s liquid fuels and chemicals industries since the 1960s, has restructured its South African operations to align with the unfolding transitions under way in the energy and mining sectors. Fluor... →

Fluor South Africa GM Bill Langenbach

Consultancy alters green processes due to Covid 19

By: Claire O'Reilly 11th June 2021 Owing to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions in South Africa last year, sustainability consultancy Solid Green altered its processes to assist the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) in meeting its net zero carbon goal by 2030, developing an EcoDistrict methodology for the city. →

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN The City of Johannesburg’s Green Building Policy awaits finalisation

Hydrogen company enters collaboration with solar company

11th June 2021 Global hydrogen company Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser, a division of Nel ASA, has entered a collaboration with global provider of comprehensive solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions First Solar to develop integrated PV hydrogen power plants. →

Company Announcements

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CESA hosts gala graduation dinner for the future engineering leaders

Beware the fire starter

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