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The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) challenges the Centre for Development and Enterprise's (CDE) opposition to a basic income grant (BIG) in South Africa. The IEJ argues that social protection, rather than austerity or market-led structural reform, is essential for economic growth. It asserts that cash transfers stimulate labor demand, entrepreneurship, and grassroots productivity, while progressive taxation to fund these grants can lead to positive GDP changes and employment surges without causing economic crises.

The Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, groundWork, and Earthlife Africa, submitted comments on the Climate Change Bill, 2022. The submission argues that the Bill is insufficient to address the climate emergency and lacks the urgency, ambition, and enforcement mechanisms necessary to meet South Africa's international obligations under the Paris Agreement and protect constitutional rights.

Natural Justice submitted comments on the draft Climate Change Bill (B9-2022) to the South African Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 27 May 2022. The organization argues that the Bill lacks the urgency required to address the climate crisis, fails to set ambitious emission reduction targets, and provides insufficient protections for constitutional rights and vulnerable communities.

A collaborative scientific study found that human-induced climate change approximately doubled the probability of the extreme 2-day rainfall that caused devastating floods in eastern South Africa in April 2022, increasing the event's intensity by 4-8%.

The document examines the relationship between climate change and conflict in Africa, asserting that climate change functions as a 'risk multiplier' that exacerbates existing political, social, and economic tensions. It highlights that while some regions like the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin are particularly vulnerable, the path from climate impact to violence is indirect, often mediated by resource scarcity, forced migration, and institutional weakness. The report calls for the Global North to fulfill climate finance commitments and for African nations to adopt evidence-based, community-informed adaptation strategies that are sensitive to local conflict dynamics to prevent future instability.

The IEJ calls for the transition of the social relief of distress (SRD) grant into a permanent universal basic income guarantee (Ubig) set at the food poverty line of R624, funded by a R200bn commodity-driven revenue windfall. The organization criticizes the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI) as ineffective and proposes its cancellation to raise R4.9bn for the Ubig. Additionally, the IEJ argues against proposed 3.3% real-term cuts to government programs, citing deteriorating public services in areas such as healthcare and education infrastructure.

The document describes the ecological importance of South Africa's grasslands as critical water sources and carbon sinks, and details a 2022-2025 WWF project in the north Eastern Cape. This project aims to support communal and commercial sheep farmers through mapping, training, and the implementation of regenerative land-use practices to improve biodiversity and carbon storage.

South Africa has the technical potential to produce between 3.2 and 4.5 billion litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) annually, depending on the use of green hydrogen. The most cost-efficient route is the first-generation alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) pathway using sugarcane A-molasses, while the largest volume potential comes from processing invasive alien plants (IAPs) and garden waste via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. A domestic SAF industry could create over 100,000 direct green jobs, including significant opportunities for coal-truck drivers in transition, and improve the national balance of trade by up to R170 billion per annum.

The document describes a partnership between WWF South Africa, Conservation South Africa, and other partners to transition communal sheep farming in the north Eastern Cape to regenerative practices. The project aims to regenerate 11,000 hectares of land and support 380 people across nine grazing associations. By using conservation agreements, the project incentivizes farmers to adopt planned rotational grazing to prevent soil erosion and biodiversity loss in exchange for benefits such as vaccinations, training, and fair market access for wool. The initiative is supported by the Regenerative Fund for Nature, launched by Kering and Conservation International.

South Africa has the technical potential to produce 3.2 to 4.5 billion litres of SAF annually, depending on the use of green hydrogen. The most cost-efficient route is the first-generation (1G) alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) pathway using sugarcane A-molasses, while the largest volume potential comes from invasive alien plants (IAPs) and garden waste via gasification and Fischer-Tropsch (GFT) synthesis. A domestic SAF industry could create over 100,000 direct green jobs, improve the national balance of trade by up to R159.5 billion per year, and provide alternative livelihoods for coal truckers in mining regions.

The South African Renewable Energy Master Plan (SAREM) aims to industrialise the renewable energy value chain to drive economic recovery and a just energy transition. The plan identifies market certainty as the most critical factor for attracting manufacturing investment, proposing a shift from a percentage-of-CAPEX local content model to a points-based scoring system in the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). Key targets for 2030 include an annual GDP contribution of R141-164 billion, the creation of 32,500-35,000 new jobs, and achieving 70-90% localisation of key components. The strategy emphasizes integrating industrial opportunities into 'Just Transition hotspots' like Mpumalanga to reskill coal sector workers and diversifying procurement through private sector engagement and export promotion to regional markets, particularly within Africa via the AfCFTA.

The report identifies a critical gap between South Africa's progressive water and sanitation policies and the actual delivery of services, which is hindered by systemic weaknesses, financial instability, and a lack of infrastructure maintenance. It argues that current efforts to improve outcomes focus too heavily on technical skills training while ignoring structural flaws in the local government fiscal framework and the erosion of Free Basic Services (FBS). The document recommends that the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) utilize Section 63 of the Water Services Act to enforce delivery standards, reform the infrastructure maintenance funding model, and adopt a co-production model for community participation.

The South African Youth Climate Action Plan (SA YCAP) is a comprehensive framework developed by young people aged 13-30 to advocate for an intersectional and just transition to a decarbonised economy. It calls for the integration of youth in policymaking, the implementation of a national climate education plan, and a shift from fossil fuel dependency to decentralised renewable energy. The plan emphasizes the need for good governance to combat corruption in climate finance and proposes specific nature-based solutions and sustainable agricultural practices to protect South Africa's biodiversity and food security.

The report identifies five key Water-Smart Agriculture (WSA) innovation clusters in South Africa: irrigation systems, smart farming, undercover farming, sustainable practices, and drought-tolerant crops. While commercial farms have adopted many of these technologies due to economies of scale, adoption remains low among smallholder and emerging farmers. The analysis estimates significant market sizes for high-tech greenhouses (R11.78 billion) and no-till machinery (R4.48 billion), while identifying remote sensing services as a high-growth area. Major barriers include high upfront costs, limited technical skills, and an unfriendly regulatory environment. The report recommends developing innovative financing models, increasing farmer awareness, and strengthening government support through tax rebates and policy integration.

The research paper explores the concept of a restoration economy in Africa, focusing on the South African 'Working for Wetlands' programme. It identifies key enablers for success, such as linking restoration to poverty relief and vocational training, while noting constraints like bureaucratic rigidity and over-reliance on public funding. The author argues that for Africa to 'build back better' post-COVID-19, ecological restoration must be integrated into development planning and funded by the production sectors (mining, agriculture, forestry) that impact ecosystems, moving toward a circular economy model.

The study evaluates the feasibility of supplying 300 million litres of ethanol annually to PetroSA's Conversion of Olefins to Distillate (COD) plant. It compares three primary feedstock pathways: first-generation (1G) molasses, second-generation (2G) lignocellulosic biomass (primarily invasive alien plants and garden waste), and third-generation (3G) industrial off-gases. The analysis finds that molasses-based ethanol is the most cost-effective and carbon-efficient option, while lignocellulosic ethanol is the most expensive due to high acquisition and processing costs. However, the report suggests that a diversified sourcing strategy incorporating invasive alien plants (IAPs) could meet broader socio-economic goals, such as job creation and drought resilience, at an additional cost of approximately R1 billion per year.

The report examines South Africa's nascent electric vehicle (EV) market, highlighting a strong existing internal combustion engine (ICE) automotive sector that must transition to avoid losing key export markets. It identifies four primary investment opportunities: the electrification of public transport, local lithium-ion battery production, passenger vehicle manufacturing for export, and EV application in mining and construction. While global EV sales are rising, South Africa lacks specific subsidies and policies to accelerate uptake, and faces barriers such as high import duties (25% for EVs) and a lack of charging infrastructure. The document also details the potential macroeconomic impact of EV adoption, including reduced oil imports and a projected loss in government revenue from fuel levies.

The South African EV ecosystem is currently nascent and dominated by private sector activity, with limited local commercial production of battery cells and a reliance on imported components. While the country possesses significant reserves of battery minerals like manganese, it lacks extensive beneficiation capacity. The automotive sector, a major GDP contributor, is pivoting toward EVs to maintain competitiveness in export markets that are phasing out internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Key barriers to adoption include high upfront costs, inadequate charging infrastructure, and a chronic shortage of technical skills. The report recommends that the City of Cape Town intervene through targeted incentives, procurement of EV fleets, and the development of charging infrastructure and skills training to stimulate a viable local value chain.

The document argues that South Africa's social protection systems are inadequate to ensure a dignified standard of living, a crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the gap between the recommendations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UNCESCR) and the government's actual responses, noting that budget cuts and 'fiscal consolidation' threaten the realization of rights to food, housing, and social security.

The guide details the ecological threats posed by invasive alien plants in the Cape Floral Region, including water depletion and biodiversity loss. It outlines legal obligations under the Biodiversity Act and CARA, provides a structured four-step planning process, and describes four primary control methods: manual, mechanical, chemical, and biological. The document also emphasizes health and safety protocols for herbicide use and the importance of long-term ecological rehabilitation.