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Environmental News

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... →

WISP helps company increase revenue by R4m a year

By: Schalk Burger 25th June 2021 The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP), which identifies and links industrial companies to opportunities, has resulted in the establishment of fuel pump reconditioning business Siyavana Solutions. Under WISP, GreenCape identified that Siyavaya could develop an upcycling solution... →

Vaccine registration for people 50 and over opens July 1

By: Sane Dhlamini 25th June 2021 Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane announced on Friday that South Africans aged between 50 and 59 years can register for the Covid-19 vaccine from July 1, with vaccinations for this age group scheduled to begin July 15. South Africa is battling a third wave of the pandemic, with... →

Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane announces that vaccine registration for people aged 50 and over opens July 1 (Camera: Kutlwano Matlala, Editing: Nicholas Boyd)

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... →

South Africa ‘well suited’ to be a green maritime fuel hub

By: Simone Liedtke 24th June 2021 A study by global environmental consultancy Ricardo and Environmental Defense Fund for the P4G Getting to Zero Coalition Partnership has found that South Africa “holds an untapped opportunity” to supply the global shipping industry with zero-carbon fuels. The production of green hydrogen-derived... →

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... →

Pandemic has presented ‘economic reset’ opportunities

By: Sane Dhlamini 23rd June 2021 Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Boitumelo Moloi said on Wednesday that while the Covid-19 pandemic has been catastrophic, it has, in many ways, presented a lot of economic reset opportunities in the process. She was addressing delegates at the launch of Switzerland's Institute of... →

Sappi joins the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance

By: Schalk Burger 23rd June 2021 Wood-fibre products multinational Sappi has joined bioeconomy global movement the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA). “Sappi’s purpose and vision aligns very closely with the CBA. We fully support the work of the CBA in facilitating a science-informed dialogue and in demonstrating on the ground... →

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

Trial shows PET bottles are recyclable when wash-off label adhesive is used

By: Schalk Burger 21st June 2021 A trial of self-adhesive labels used on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and laboratory tests afterwards demonstrated that these bottles and labels are fully recyclable, PET recycling company Petco says. PET plastic bottles with adhesive labels have hampered South African recycling processes, as... →

Petco diversifies as it anticipates increase in producer responsibility participation

By: Schalk Burger 21st June 2021 Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Petco announced that it is diversifying into multimaterials as it anticipates that participation in PROs will increase significantly and to ensure that its members remain compliant under new packaging... →

Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela wins Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship 2020 award

By: Sane Dhlamini 21st June 2021 The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust has awarded writer and scholar Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela the prestigious Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship 2020 award. This year the Trust celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award. →

Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela

ITU looks to increase e-waste collection, recycling

By: Simone Liedtke 21st June 2021 With a growing information society and increasing disposable incomes, the amount of e-waste is growing, and official collection and recycling rates fail to keep pace. Globally, only 39% of countries have a national policy, legislation or regulation that covers e-waste; while in Africa, only 13... →

Kenya Airways subsidiary using drones to support wildlife census

By: Rebecca Campbell 21st June 2021 Kenyan national flag carrier Kenya Airways’ subsidiary Fahari Aviation participated in the Tsavo Ecosystem Wildlife Census, which was coordinated by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the recently created Wildlife Research and Training Institute, with financial support from the Kenyan... →

100 MW reform ‘precursor’ to new market-driven electricity supply industry – De Ruyter

By: Terence Creamer 18th June 2021 Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has described the decision to lift the licence-exemption cap on own- or embedded-generation plants from 1 MW to 100 MW as not only positive for addressing South Africa’s immediate electricity shortages, but also as “the precursor to the development of a new electricity... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter

Fishermen, oyster farmers fear power-generating ship will kill business

By: Reuters 18th June 2021 A floating gas-turbine generator meant to alleviate South Africa's crippling power cuts has run into objections by oyster farmers and small-scale fishermen, who fear the environmental damage will destroy their livelihoods. The seafood sellers fear the 415 MW ship - to be moored for two decades at... →

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 atlas of freshwater life will use eDNA to tackle extinction crisis

By: Simone Liedtke 17th June 2021 A global atlas of freshwater life will use environmental DNA, or eDNA, to tackle the extinction crisis through the eBioAtlas programme, which will gather data at scale to support conservation, unlock investment and inform world biodiversity policy. The International Union for Conservation of... →

Large methane leak detected over South Africa coal mining region

By: Bloomberg 16th June 2021 A cloud of methane was detected by satellite near coal mines in South Africa, drawing attention to a lesser-known environmental risk that comes from using the dirtiest fossil fuel. The potent greenhouse gas — methane traps roughly 84 times more heat than carbon dioxide in its first two decades in... →

Suppliers to lose contracts for failing to cut carbon emissions – study

By: Donna Slater 15th June 2021 A new study by financial services provider Standard Chartered reveals that multinational companies will cut suppliers for failing to curb carbon emissions, with 78% of multinational corporations (MNCs) planning to cut ties with suppliers that endanger their carbon transition plans by 2025. For... →

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... →

Big oil must work harder to slash Africa emissions, WoodMac says

By: Bloomberg 15th June 2021 Oil majors need to curb emissions in sub-Saharan Africa -- where almost half of their most polluting assets are located -- as investors demand greater efforts to slash carbon output, according to Wood Mackenzie. Crucially, the companies must reduce gas flaring -- the process of burning off gas... →

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. →

Index celebrates 5 years in ‘green’ investment

11th June 2021 Now in its fifth year, the financing company MSCI South Africa Green Annual Property Index continues to support the investment case for green buildings in the commercial property sector. →

Pioneers for sustainable urban regeneration

By: Claire O'Reilly 11th June 2021 An urgent shift from traditional market practice towards the ‘green industrial revolution’ is underway, hence specialised commercial property financial services company TUHF’s advocating for the following of green and sustainable building principles in the construction and building industries. →

Timber’s viability overlooked by developers

11th June 2021 It is estimated that two-billion metres squared of new building stock will be required every year between 2019 and 2025 to keep up with urban development and population growth. →

WOOD REDUCES CARBON OMMISIONS Carbon dioxide is removed from our atmosphere by wood plantations during their rotations of seven to 20 years.

Wood beneficial for the circular economy

By: Claire O'Reilly 11th June 2021 The Graduate School of Technology Management at the University of Pretoria (UP) says policy needs to be developed to ensure wood forms part of the circular economy. →

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