Environmental | Policy & Enforcement

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Policy & Enforcement News

Oil spill sees 80 litres of fuel enter Algoa Bay, possibly endangering seabirds

By: News24Wire 18th November 2021 An oil spill has occurred in Algoa Bay, with around 80 litres of fuel entering the sea. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) and other stakeholders have started clean-up efforts and an investigation is under way. →

Amendments demand stringent compliance

By: Claire O'Reilly 5th November 2021 With the new amendments to the Carbon Tax Act earmarked to pave the way for developing a national standard to approve offset carbon positive projects and administer these projects on a national database, Economic Development Solutions (EDS) head of business development Eckart Zollner says... →

Picture of interviewee Eckart Zollner who is the Economic Development Solutions (EDS) head of business development

ECKART ZOLLNER Economic Development Solutions head of business development

UN climate summit starts under cloud after G-20 dodges hard questions

By: Bloomberg 1st November 2021 Climate negotiators at the COP26 summit were banking on the world’s most powerful leaders to give them a boost before they embark on two weeks of fraught discussions over who should do what to slow the rise in global temperatures. In the broadest sense, they got what they needed — any consensus... →

A banner advertising the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) where world leaders discuss how to tackle climate change on a global scale

DFFE announces R29m waste management intervention for Mangaung

By: Schalk Burger 15th October 2021 The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) on October 15 announced a R29-million waste management intervention for the Mangaung metro municipality, in the Free State. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu attributed the waste management... →

Gas-to-power crucial to South Africa’s energy future

By: Halima Frost 15th October 2021 Multinational conglomerate General Electric Company (GE) Gas Power strategy & growth director Michael Konadu tells Mining Weekly that although there is no one solution to decrease South Africa’s carbon footprint, gas-to-power will be integral in the mix. He explains that South Africa’s Just... →

A large Gas Power Combined Cycle power plant designed by GE at dusk

TURNING TABLES The gas turbines offered by GE Gas To Power decrease a clients emissions substantially making a dent on its carbon footprint

UPL asked to pay for public forum on South Africa pollution

By: Bloomberg 6th October 2021 UPL, an Indian producer of chemicals used in agriculture, will be asked to pay for the establishment of a forum that will keep the public informed about developments relating to a spill of hazardous chemicals in the South African city of Durban. The so-called multi stakeholder forum will be set... →

Durban chemical company had no environmental authorisation to operate plant, report finds

By: News24Wire 4th October 2021 United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) had no environmental authorisation to operate its Cornubia chemical factory, nor did it obtain risk assessment and planning permissions as required by environmental and municipal by-laws, a preliminary report has found. Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister... →

Carbon tax ineffective against major emitters

By: Darren Parker 1st October 2021 South Africa’s “laughably weak and ineffective” carbon tax regime is no disincentive to carbon-intensive businesses, such as integrated chemicals and energy company Sasol, environmental activist organisation Greenpeace Africa climate and energy campaigner Thandile Chinyavanhu tells Engineering... →

A photo of a Sasol plant emitting pollution into the air while crops and flowers grow in the foreground

Photo by Reuters
PINING FOR CHANGE Greenpeace Africa ponders whether a just transition is possible while major emitters continue to be granted large-scale carbon tax allowances

Association releases new training manual

By: Halima Frost 17th September 2021 Last month, South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (Saracca) released its updated training manual, which will be implemented, from this month onwards, by heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) training providers throughout South Africa.... →

Metal pipes of a correctly installed pipe system for the HVACR system

HOW TO... The association has released a new installation manual which will be used by training providers form this month

Environmental organisations concerned about government no-show at plastics treaty meeting

By: Donna Slater 2nd September 2021 Environment advocacy organisations Greenpeace Africa, groundWork and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have expressed deep concerns that the South African government did not participate in a Ministerial meeting on a proposed global plastics treaty held this month. This shows, the... →

RMB launches ESG-risk-measuring platforms to support sustainable investing

By: Donna Slater 2nd September 2021 Financial services provider Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), a division of FirstRand Bank, has launched environmental, social and governance- (ESG-) measuring platforms – ESGo! and ESGNow. The platforms are envisaged to drive sustainable finance by offering client interfaces that enable more informed... →

Greenpeace lauds demise of leaded petrol

By: Marleny Arnoldi 30th August 2021 The United Nations Environment Programme has announced the official end of leaded petrol, as of August 30. Environmental organisation Greenpeace Africa says this global achievement comes after a refinery in Algeria phased out of the toxic additive. The refinery was the last in the world to use... →

UPL spill investigation to be complete next month

By: Simone Liedtke 26th August 2021 The final report into the chemical spill at the United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) warehouse in Cornubia, KwaZulu-Natal, in July, is expected to be completed by the end of September. The multi-departmental investigative team which was set up to investigate the incident has nearly finalised a... →

Stakeholders urge Creecy to uphold Karpowership EIA refusal decision

By: Simone Liedtke 19th August 2021 Small-scale fishers from the West Coast and other stakeholders have commended the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) for its decision to refuse to grant Karpowership South Africa environmental authoristions for three proposed floating power plants (FPPs). The fishers... →

eThekwini, DFFE helping UPL with Cornubia chemical clean-up efforts

By: Schalk Burger 26th July 2021 The eThekwini municipality, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and specialists from the municipality, the department and the private sector are advising and helping chemical company UPL to clean up the spill that happened in Cornubia, Durban, following the recent... →

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... →

Regulatory compliance key to driving sustainability

16th July 2021 For South Africa to work toward economic recovery, it will be necessary for organisations to re-prioritise compliance to ensure both economic and environmental sustainability in the long term, says economic development agency Economic Development Solutions (EDM) MD Janine Espin. In the past year,... →

JANINE ESPIN Organisations should seek the guidance of compliance specialists

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.

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.... →

Testing can ensure safe communication on mines

By: Cameron Mackay 2nd July 2021 The potential dangers of working underground make reliable communication vital for improving safety and enhancing operational efficiency, says communications device provider Ya Batho sales and operations manager Craig Franck who stresses the importance of using wireless communication equipment... →

SAFER, DEEPER MINING From its inception, Ya Batho decided to make products appropriate in explosive environments and close to electronic equipment, without interference, to adhere to mining regulations

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... →

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... →

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

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

EU’s Green Deal will have wide-ranging impact on SA exports, cautions Van Zyl

By: Irma Venter 8th June 2021 Europe’s Green Deal is not just a vision or an 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 earlier this year as... →

Johan Van Zyl

South African researchers hope to deter rhino poachers with radioactive markers

By: Reuters 4th June 2021 Researchers in South Africa are working on a potentially new method to deter rhino poachers and smugglers by using radioactive markers to make smuggled horns detectable at global ports of entry and less desirable to buyers. South Africa is home to the world's largest rhino population but has... →

Alien plant and animal species responsible for significant biodiversity degradation

By: Donna Slater 28th May 2021 A report released by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) on May 28, finds that biological invasions are the third-largest threat to South Africa’s biodiversity after cultivation and land degradation, and are responsible for 25% of all biodiversity loss. The second... →

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

Nemwa amendments aimed at increasing recovery of products to be recycled

By: Simone Liedtke 28th May 2021 Waste management and plastic recycling are a significant challenges in South Africa and recent amendments to Section 18 of the National Environmental Management and Waste Act (Nemwa) regulations call for producer responsibility organisations (PROs) to cooperate with municipalities to increase the... →

Plastics SA executive director Anton Hanekom gives more insight into recent amendments to Section 18 of the National Environmental Management and Waste Act (Nemwa). Video: Recorded on Zoom. Editing: Creamer Media's Nicholas Boyd.

Looming environmental crises to require $8.1tr by 2050 to mitigate impacts

By: Donna Slater 28th May 2021 A report into the climate, biodiversity and land degradation crises reveals that, to tackle these matters, a total investment in nature of $8.1-trillion is required over the next three decades, amounting to $536-billion a year by 2050. United Nations (UN) Environmental Programme executive... →

Geospatial issues impact inequality levels in Southern Africa

By: Sane Dhlamini 21st May 2021 Professor Vimal Ranchhod from the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit at the University of Cape Town (UCT) says data show there is a strong geospatial component when it comes to serious inequality in Southern Africa. He was addressing a virtual debate organised by the Embassy of... →

Judge to rule after South Africa sued over Sasol, Eskom pollution

By: Bloomberg 20th May 2021 A judge is set to rule after the first ever case filed against the government over its alleged failure to crack down on air pollution emitted by power plants operated by Eskom Holdings and refineries owned by Sasol. The case was filed in the Pretoria High Court by groundWork, an... →

Balwin remains ‘cautiously optimistic’ on the back of positive financial results

By: Simone Liedtke 17th May 2021 In a financial year that was characterised by unprecedented socioeconomic and market conditions with unusual working and living environments, various measures initiated by JSE-listed Balwin Properties saw the company experience continued strong sales demand for the “Balwin product” at the end of... →

An artistic rendering of Balwin's apartments at its Waterfall development.

Creecy assures South Africa will contribute to global climate change mitigation efforts

By: Donna Slater 14th May 2021 Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy says steps are being taken to ensure South Africa contributes its “fair share” to the global climate change mitigation effort with its newly-established Presidential Climate Change Coordinating Commission. The commission will advise... →

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

Understanding, implementation of circularity needed to overcome waste crisis – panel

By: Donna Slater 13th May 2021 Although they agreed that the concept of a circular economy was not new in South Africa, a panel of experts participating in a webinar hosted by Creamer Media this week, also agreed that more needed to be done by government to expand on the implementation of circular economy principles to produce... →

Understanding, implementation of circularity needed to overcome waste crisis – panel

KwaZulu-Natal announces Climate Change and Sustainable Development Council

By: Sane Dhlamini 12th May 2021 The province of KwaZulu-Natal held its first ever sitting of the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Council, on Wednesday, as part of plans to mitigate natural disasters that have recently plagued the province. The council, which is chaired by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala, is... →

Photo by supplied
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala

Winde says focus on governance has reaped good rewards for W Cape

By: Sane Dhlamini 11th May 2021 Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said on Tuesday that focusing on governance over the last few years has helped to keep the Western Cape’s unemployment rate lower than in other provinces. He was speaking with journalist Bruce Whitfield during the PSG think big series webinar, under the topic ‘The... →

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde

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