Search Climate Insights Directory

This executive summary, submitted to the Eskom Board Sustainability and Ethics Committee on 26 August 2016, details the company's environmental performance, compliance status, and associated legal and financial risks. It highlights improvements in particulate emissions but notes failures in water usage targets and ongoing challenges with legal contraventions and regulatory compliance.

This statement, submitted by Earthlife Africa, argues that the environmental authorisation for the Thabametsi coal-fired power station was granted unlawfully because it lacked a necessary climate change impact assessment. The document outlines the specific requirements for such an assessment and presents four legal grounds for reviewing and setting aside the decisions made by the Chief Director and the Minister, citing breaches of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and the 2010 EIA Regulations.

This document is an affidavit submitted by groundWork, a non-profit environmental justice organisation, to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). It presents supplementary objections to the license application by ACWA Power Khanyisa Thermal Power Station (RF) (Pty) Limited to operate the Khanyisa coal-fired power plant. groundWork argues that the project is unnecessary due to excess energy capacity, would violate constitutional rights to a healthy environment, and poses severe risks to the air quality of the Highveld Priority Area and the water resources of the Olifants River catchment.

This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) identifies systemic failures in South Africa's water governance and provides a strategic framework for civil society to intervene. It highlights critical gaps in the implementation of the National Water Act (NWA), the failure to roll out catchment management institutions, and severe capacity constraints within the Department of Water Affairs (DWA). The document recommends a combination of legal advocacy, institutional reform, and the introduction of administrative penalties to improve compliance and ensure the progressive realisation of constitutional rights to water.

The Minister of Environmental Affairs of South Africa dismissed an appeal by Earthlife Africa Johannesburg (represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights) against the Environmental Authorisation (EA) granted to Newshelf 1282 (Pty) Ltd for the Thabametsi Power Station. While the Minister upheld the project's approval, the decision included specific amendments to the EA's conditions regarding runoff water and surface water monitoring.

This document is a supplementary affidavit submitted by Earthlife Africa NPC to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). It presents formal objections to the license application of Thabametsi Power Company (Pty) Limited for a proposed 1200MW coal-fired power plant in Lephalale, Limpopo. Earthlife argues that the project is unnecessary, financially inefficient, and poses severe risks to water security, air quality, and climate goals.

This guide, published by Friends of the Earth International, explains the causes and impacts of climate change, emphasizing the disproportionate responsibility of wealthy industrialised nations and the severe risks faced by Africa. It criticizes government failures driven by corporate interests and proposes a systemic transition toward renewable energy and sustainable food systems.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) examines the social and environmental consequences of privatizing water and biodiversity across 34 global case studies. It argues that neoliberal policies promoted by international financial institutions (IFIs) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) prioritize corporate profit over human rights and ecological sustainability, disproportionately marginalizing the poor and Indigenous Peoples.

This report by Friends of the Earth International examines the global crisis of water equity, focusing on the negative impacts of water privatization driven by international financial institutions and multinational corporations. It details specific cases of water scarcity, pollution, and social unrest in various countries, while proposing alternative, sustainable, and community-led water management models.

This case study by GreenCape details how ACA Threads, a sewing thread manufacturer in Cape Town, reduced its water consumption by 70% between 2012 and 2017 through automation and process changes.

This reference guide by GreenCape provides water and wastewater businesses and investors with a framework for entering the South African public water sector. It details the institutional landscape, planned infrastructure spending in metropolitan and Western Cape municipalities, procurement legislation, and platforms for technology trialling.

This case study by GreenCape examines Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) as a sustainable solution to food insecurity, water scarcity, and climate vulnerability in South Africa. It defines CEA as the production of plants and food within indoor facilities, growth chambers, or climate-regulated systems to maximize yield, highlighting its potential to reduce food mileage and increase crop density through vertical farming.

This fact sheet by GreenCape, produced in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, defines non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS) and outlines their benefits, drivers, and the market potential for their implementation in South Africa and globally.

This case study examines how Mediclinic Southern Africa (MCSA) implemented water-saving technologies, specifically laundry wastewater recycling plants, across its hospitals to ensure operational continuity amidst water scarcity.

The Market Intelligent Report by GreenCape provides an overview of the water sector in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Western Cape. It details the regulatory framework, governance structures, and current challenges such as non-revenue water and skills shortages. The report identifies opportunities for the private sector in desalination, water re-use, and infrastructure maintenance, while outlining available municipal grant funding and regional projects like the Berg River Improvement Plan.

This policy summary based on the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report details the threats to water security in the Americas. Key issues include glacier loss in the Andes, water scarcity in North American irrigated agriculture, and governance barriers in Central and South America. It emphasizes the need for equitable, intersectoral adaptation strategies and the integration of indigenous knowledge to reduce climate risks.

This fact sheet from the Institute for Economic Justice outlines the vulnerabilities of South African agriculture to climate change, predicting significant temperature increases, water scarcity, and socio-economic disruptions. It emphasizes that small-scale farmers and marginalized groups are most at risk and advocates for a just transition toward agro-ecological practices and resource redistribution.

This fact sheet from the Institute for Economic Justice outlines the projected impacts of climate change on South African agriculture and the food system, highlighting increased temperature rises, water scarcity, and the disproportionate vulnerability of smallholder farmers and marginalized groups. It advocates for a 'just transition' based on agroecological practices and resource redistribution to mitigate inequality and food insecurity.

The UN 2023 Water Conference in New York brought together over 6,500 participants to address the global water crisis. Key outcomes included the appointment of a UN Special Envoy for Water and the creation of the Water Action Agenda, which comprises approximately 700 voluntary commitments totaling USD 300 billion. The conference highlighted the urgent need to quadruple efforts to meet SDG 6 targets, emphasizing a nexus approach (water-food-energy) and the recognition of water as a global common good amidst the pressures of climate change and population growth.

This report summarizes a workshop held on March 26, 2009, hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to assess climate change adaptation activities, research, and capacity in Manitoba. The event brought together academics, policy-makers, and project coordinators to identify priority areas for a proposed Manitoba Climate Research Table and discuss regional adaptation strategies.