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Policy & Enforcement News

CoJ council has until Friday to approve budget

By: Sane Dhlamini 6th July 2020 Gauteng Cooperative Governance MEC Lebogang Maile has urged the City of Johannesburg Municipal Council to put the interest of the residents of the City first following its failure to approve an annual budget for the start of the municipal financial year 2020/21. The Gauteng Provincial Executive... →

Covid-19 has exposed weaknesses in our communities – Dlamini-Zuma

By: Sane Dhlamini 23rd June 2020 Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on Tuesday declared that the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has exposed the weaknesses and deep fault lines in basic services, infrastructure, poverty and hunger, as well as in economic activities in rural... →

Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

Nigerians bid to sue Shell in UK over oil spill pollution

By: Bloomberg 23rd June 2020 Thousands of Nigerians are asking British judges to give them permission to sue Royal Dutch Shell Plc in London over environmental damage caused by oil spills 3,000 miles away in Africa. Lawyers for residents of the crude-rich Niger Delta believe a landmark UK Supreme Court ruling last year... →

Company eases burden of understanding carbon tax

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 12th June 2020 Companies have shifted their focus from attempting to lower their carbon emissions to making a budget allowance to pay for these emissions, owing to their misunderstanding of carbon tax, says software developer EDS Systems business development head Eckart Zollner. The new Carbon Tax Act is said... →

ECKART ZOLLNER Carbon tax aims to assist companies in regulating their carbon emissions to keep them to a minimum

Commonwealth urges members to focus on care of seaborne economies

By: Donna Slater 9th June 2020 Commonwealth secretary-general Patricia Scotland urges governments to ensure their countries’ post-Covid-19 economic recoveries are environmentally sustainable and safe for the ocean. She also asks that they reform their development of strategies in a way that supports vibrant and sustainable... →

Pilot programme starts bearing fruit for reclaimers

By: Marleny Arnoldi 5th June 2020 A pilot programme jointly executed by recycling organisations, fast-moving consumer goods company Unilever and the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg has, for first time, started integrating individual waste reclaimers into the circular economy of the city. It is the first project in... →

Growthpoint’s Cintocare Hospital development first healthcare property to achieve Africa’s Green Star

By: Simone Liedtke 3rd June 2020 JSE-listed real estate investment trust Growthpoint Properties’ Cintocare specialised surgical hospital development, in Pretoria, has become the first healthcare property or the first facility of its kind in South Africa, and Africa, to be awarded a Green Star rating. Cintocare received a... →

An exterior construction view of the Cintocare hospital

Enviro association calls for admin, practitioners to be allowed to resume work

By: Marleny Arnoldi 29th May 2020 The Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (Eapasa) has called on government to allow environment-impact assessment (EIA) processes to continue, particularly for projects related to the provision of services and infrastructure with a public-interest focus. The... →

New emissions blow for VW as German court backs damages claims

By: Reuters 25th May 2020 Volkswagen must pay compensation to owners of vehicles with rigged diesel engines in Germany, a court ruled on Monday, dealing a fresh blow to the automaker almost five years after its emissions scandal erupted. The ruling by Germany’s highest court for civil disputes, which will allow owners to... →

Integration vital for construction-project life cycle

By: Mamaili Mamaila 22nd May 2020 There is a need for integration between the engineering design and environmental processes, before the final submission stage of a project, to avoid the possibility of environmental authorisation for construction on the preferred site being denied, says environmental consultancy Environmental... →

SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS Identifying the environmentally sensitive areas on-site early during the design phase can increase the probability of a sustainable and integrated development

As Eskom rolls out boiler fixes to more Medupi units, it confirms FGD talks with World Bank

By: Terence Creamer 21st May 2020 Electricity utility Eskom is rolling-out design modifications made recently to Medupi Unit 3 to Medupi Unit 6, rather than waiting for the results of an evaluation of the fixes, which is proceeding in parallel. The unit was shut for 75 days on January 26 to address defects that emerged, mostly in... →

COO Jan Oberholzer on the rolling-out of design modifications at Medupi. Camera Work: Kutlwano Matlala. Editing: Nicholas Boyd

EDS Systems developing first South African carbon tax tool

By: Tracy Hancock 19th May 2020 Software developer EDS Systems is developing the first cloud-based carbon tax tool tailored to the South African market, in response to the introduction of the country’s Carbon Tax Act last year, and has entered the final stages of quality assurance. “There are many carbon tax calculators online,... →

Creecy takes decisive action against Eskom’s noncompliance at Kendal

By: Marleny Arnoldi 18th May 2020 The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has welcomed the decisive action taken against Eskom’s Kendal power station by Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy. The Minister has ordered the State-owned power utility to, within 30 days, stop operations at either Unit 1 or... →

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

Mistra celebrates 10 years

By: Sane Dhlamini 11th May 2020 The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra) has hit ten years of independence and transdisciplinary research. Since May 2010, after much consultation, Mistra was founded by a group of researchers, academics, policymakers and former policy practitioners which created a platform to... →

Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection executive director, Joel Netshitenzhe

New label can improve consumer education

By: Tracy Hancock 8th May 2020 The next challenge for the South African domestic appliance industry is the migration to a new energy efficiency label under the Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards and Labelling (S&L) programme to improve consumer education. The label will simplify energy classes and provide explanations of... →

ON PAR The energy efficiency of domestic appliances in South Africa is generally of a high standard

Incentives needed to aid local energy tech

By: Mamaili Mamaila 1st May 2020 While there is an increased focus on local content across several South African industries, government could do more in terms of incentivising local manufacturing, says energy solutions company i-G3n co-founder and director Sydney Phakathi. →

NO FUSS WHATSOEVER i-G3n offers standard solutions that it can also tailor to suit the specific needs of every client

Eskom shuts power plant after warning ash dam may collapse

By: Bloomberg 30th April 2020 Eskom Holdings, South Africa’s State-owned electricity utility, said it has temporarily closed its Camden power plant because the dam where it stores the ash from burning coal could burst and endanger local residents. The 1,600-megawatt power plant will be closed for up to three months after a... →

IMF approves funding for DRC as Covid-19 shocks economy

By: Sane Dhlamini 23rd April 2020 The Democratic Republic of Congo will receive $363.27-million from the International Monetary Fund for urgent balancing of payment needs, as the country’s short-term economic outlook deteriorates during the coronavirus pandemic. The IMF approved the fund disbursement under the Rapid Credit... →

DA commends Ramaphosa for approaching IMF, World Bank to fund part of relief package

By: Sane Dhlamini 22nd April 2020 Democratic Alliance interim leader John Steenhuisen has welcomed President’s Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the R500-billion Economic and Social Relief Package and has further applauded the President for approaching the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for funds. During a virtual... →

DA interim leader John Steenhuisen

Storage should aim to address cost reduction

10th April 2020 Ensuring that renewable energy is a useful asset to the grid and that the companies that own and operate it are profitable, while also producing less expensive energy, is a complex job. →

Association aims to address storage hybrid projects

10th April 2020 The South African Wind Energy Association (Sawea) has announced that it will be creating a discussion platform to support members and the broader renewable energy sector, by addressing questions that are emerging in relation to wind and storage hybrid projects. →

NTOMBIFUTHI NTULI There is a global wave of hybrid projects that use, among other things, wind and battery storage

Ramaphosa places Ndabeni-Abrahams on special leave for violating lockdown regulations

By: Sane Dhlamini 8th April 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on special leave for two months, one of which will be unpaid, for violating the regulations of the national lockdown amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. A recent social media... →

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

Enviro reporting, licensing processes to enjoy extended timeframes

By: Marleny Arnoldi 1st April 2020 Law firm Webber Wentzel says that, in light of the current restrictions of movement of people in South Africa to curb the spread of Covid-19, various timeframes around environmental applications and others have been extended. Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy on March... →

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

Covid-19 may exacerbate the abuse of power – Corruption Watch

By: Sane Dhlamini 31st March 2020 Not-for-profit organisation Corruption Watch on Tuesday released its yearly corruption report with executive director David Lewis saying South Africans should not expect corruption to lessen during the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s report is themed “The Writing is on the Wall” and shows... →

Corruption Watch executive director, David Lewis

Staying home most effective way to contain Covid-19 – Ramaphosa

By: Sane Dhlamini 30th March 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday said it was clear that the most effective way for a society to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus is for the population to remain at home and physically isolated from each other for at least several weeks. As South Africa enters day 4 of its national... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Greenpeace opposed to weakening of emission standards

By: Marleny Arnoldi 30th March 2020 Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy last week gazetted the doubling of minimum emission standards (MES) for sulphur dioxide, weakening the limit from 500 mg/Nm3 to 1 000 mg/Nm3. Greenpeace Africa climate and energy campaigner Bukelwa Nzimande has responded negatively to... →

Lack of port development a concern

By: Tracy Hancock 27th March 2020 While there is some movement in the development of South Africa’s port infrastructure by the private sector, the overall stagnation of its development is concerning, law firm Bowmans ports, transport and logistics head Andrew Pike tells Engineering News. He says this lack of activity may largely... →

ANDREW PIKE The Port of Durban is often congested with trucks that should be transporting up to five or more containers a day but only manage one, if lucky

Industry reaction to Minister’s call for higher levels of clean-coal investment

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 There is much scepticism domestically and internationally about the potential for clean-coal technology (CCT). In South Africa, however, there has been an amplification in recent months of calls for accelerated efforts to be made to finding innovative solutions to the serious environmental and... →

Photo by GE
POWER PLANT OPTIMISATION Eskom’s Kusile power station’s use of the wet flue gas desulphurisation technology ensures lower emissions

Greenpeace against granting of MES compliance postponement to Eskom

By: Marleny Arnoldi 23rd March 2020 South Africa’s National Air Quality Officer Dr Thuli Khumalo’s decision on Eskom’s application for a postponement from complying with the Minimum Emission Standards (MES) at the end of this month could have implications as far reaching as the country’s water security, says Greenpeace Africa.... →

Carbon storage vital to chemicals projects

By: Cameron Mackay 13th March 2020 With the global drive to meet climate targets and mitigate the devastating effects of climate change, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a vital emissions reduction technology for the chemicals and petrochemicals industry, says international think-tank Global CCS Institute advocacy and... →

Photo by Bloomberg
DECARBONISING INDUSTRY Efforts from government and industry are needed to address carbon emissions from chemical and petrochemical production and the use and disposal of chemical products

M&R confirms coronavirus-linked disruptions at two project sites

By: Terence Creamer 5th March 2020 Specialist engineering and construction group Murray & Roberts (M&R) has initiated a study into the potential health and commercial effects of the coronavirus, or Covid-19, on its projects and people, confirming on Thursday that the outbreak was already affecting project delivery in South Africa... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Murray & Roberts CEO Henry Laas

Standard Bank releases policy on lending to thermal coal mining projects

By: Simone Liedtke 5th March 2020 Financial services provider Standard Bank has released its Thermal Coal Mining Policy, making it the first South African bank to publicly release a policy on lending to coal mining projects. This follows a landmark shareholder vote in favour of a climate risk-related shareholder resolution which... →

Medupi's killer fumes: The story of a power station's missing air scrubbers

By: News24Wire 3rd March 2020 Eskom's megapower station Medupi is suffocating South Africa in more ways than one: It is not just a financial black hole; it is also a health and environmental catastrophe. And the installation of crucial technology to make it less poisonous has once again been delayed. For years, Eskom has... →

Govt working on environmental fiscal reform paper, as carbon tax increases 5.6%

By: Simone Liedtke 26th February 2020 The National Treasury on Wednesday confirmed that government was preparing to publish an environmental fiscal reform review paper. The paper will explore the potential for new environmental taxes and reforms to existing instruments, such as restructuring the general fuel levy to include a local... →

Eskom faces closure threat at biggest working power plant

By: Bloomberg 25th February 2020 Eskom Holdings is battling to keep all the units of its biggest operational power plant open after being served with a compliance notice by South Africa’s environment ministry because of its high levels of air pollution. The indebted power utility has failed to fully repair pollution-abatement... →

Cape Town adds more energy to Indaba

By: Cameron Mackay 21st February 2020 The decision to host this year’s Africa Energy Indaba at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on March 3 and 4, rather than in Johannesburg, where it was hosted previously, has resulted in increased interest from African and global delegates to attend the event, says Africa Energy Indaba... →

ENERGISING AFRICA The sub-Saharan and East African regions will feature strongly at the indaba as electricity demand in these regions, and the rest of Africa, is growing

New energy paradigm can drive Africa’s development

By: Schalk Burger 21st February 2020 Africa can meet its major sustainable energy and development goals without becoming more energy intensive, as it has a unique opportunity to use renewable energy, natural gas and energy efficiency to meet its development needs and provide reliable and modern energy services. This is the... →

Topics In These Articles

Africa Energy Financial Projects Renewable Energy Solar Sustainable Innovation Modular Waste Construction Consulting Engineering Flow Installation PROJECT Safety Storage System Water Health Risk Management Screening Testing Waste Management Industrial Measurement Resources Technology Gold ... more

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