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The report identifies five primary lignocellulosic waste streams in the Western Cape: invasive alien vegetation (IAV), industrial composite wood materials, pallets, paper sludge, and green waste. It evaluates the current utilisation of these resources, the barriers to unlocking their value—such as high logistics costs for IAV and chemical toxicity in composites—and identifies potential business partners and stakeholders. The analysis concludes that while some streams like paper sludge and green waste have established markets, others like IAV and composite woods offer opportunities for higher-value products and energy recovery if technical and logistical challenges are addressed.

The report identifies significant volumes of organic waste from dairies, piggeries, poultry farms, and abattoirs in the Western Cape, noting that most are currently underutilised or disposed of via landfill and burial. It highlights anaerobic digestion and composting as primary value-addition opportunities, while noting regulatory hurdles regarding fertiliser sales and strict landfill requirements for animal carcasses. The document provides a directory of waste providers and technology partners to facilitate business-matching.

The report identifies a significant gap in the adoption of value-addition technologies for industrial organic wastewater in the Western Cape, noting that only 1% of companies have implemented such solutions. While biogas generation is the most common application, other recovered resources include white starch, whey, and composting materials. Key barriers to adoption include high capital requirements, lack of awareness, and the fact that many Western Cape companies produce wastewater volumes below the 1ML/D threshold typically required for a viable business case. The document highlights specific companies already implementing these solutions, such as Simba PepsiCo and Parmalat, and identifies potential partners and technology providers within South Africa.

The document examines how decentralisation can enhance citizen engagement in governance, specifically at the regional level. Using South Africa as a primary case study, it argues that while basic participation methods are consistent across government levels, regional effectiveness is often hindered by unclear institutional design, a lack of authority to address demands, and the dominance of party-based political structures. The author evaluates various strategies—such as public hearings, petitions, and participatory budgeting—and concludes that robust participation requires a combination of clear division of responsibilities, adequate resourcing, responsive representation, and the strategic use of technology.

The document outlines five South African case studies focused on livestock residue valorization. These include biogas installations at Zandam Piggery & Cheese and Uilenkraal Dairy, insect protein production from organic waste by AgriProtein and Khepri Innovations, and open wind-row composting at the Robertson Abattoir.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submits that the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill [B 15D-2013] is vulnerable to constitutional challenge due to procedural irregularities in Parliament. The CER argues that the Bill dilutes the rights of women and communities to benefit from mineral resources and fails to align environmental management of mines with the higher standards of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). Specifically, the CER opposes the 'deeming' of old-order environmental management programmes as NEMA authorisations, which it claims exonerates companies operating illegally. The submission also calls for the Department of Mineral Resources to be stripped of environmental regulation duties, citing a lack of capacity and an inherent conflict of interest between promoting mining and protecting the environment.

The 2015/16 El Niño caused the worst drought in Southern Africa in at least 35 years, leading to widespread food insecurity and agricultural losses. While regional coordination mechanisms like SADC and UN agencies provided frameworks for response, the document finds that national implementation capacity remains low across the region. Even in South Africa, the highest-capacity state, coordination challenges and resource gaps hampered effectiveness. The paper argues for a shift from reactive 'response' to proactive 'prevention' and the scaling of local, science-guided adaptation strategies to improve long-term climate readiness.

The document outlines the economic drivers and practical implementation of solar PV for businesses in the Western Cape, noting that systems can reduce electricity costs by up to 16% with payback periods typically between 3 and 8 years. It details three financing models—self-funded, bank-funded, and power purchase agreements (PPAs)—and lists the municipalities in the province that support small scale embedded generation (SSEG). Additionally, it highlights available tax incentives, such as 100% accelerated depreciation, and the Western Cape government's goal to reach 135MW of rooftop PV capacity by 2020.

The document outlines the economic and sustainability benefits of organic waste separation for Western Cape businesses, highlighting a provincial goal to ban the landfilling of all organic waste by 2027. It categorizes available waste-to-value solutions—including waste-to-pharma, food, feed, soil, and energy—and provides a framework for onsite management, such as appointing a waste champion and implementing source separation. The brief also details relevant legal frameworks, including the National Environmental Management: Waste Act and City of Cape Town by-laws, emphasizing the need for accredited service providers.

The 2017 Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape examines the transition to sustainable agriculture in South Africa, particularly the Western Cape. It identifies key drivers for green technology adoption, such as climate change, water scarcity, and rising energy costs. The report details specific opportunities in energy efficiency, solar PV, solar-powered irrigation, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, and controlled environment agriculture, while outlining the regulatory landscape and available funding mechanisms to support these transitions.

The South African energy services market is expanding due to rising electricity costs, decreasing technology prices, and supportive policies. Growth is primarily driven by the commercial and industrial sectors, particularly through rooftop solar PV and energy efficiency retrofits. While national regulations have lagged behind the rapid uptake of small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), local municipalities, especially in the Western Cape, are developing their own guidelines to unlock investment. Significant opportunities exist in public building retrofits, the water-energy nexus in municipal wastewater treatment, and industrial solar thermal applications in the food and beverage sector.

The report assesses the South African utility-scale renewable energy sector, primarily driven by the REIPPPP. It highlights the programme's success in procuring over 6,300 MWp of capacity and attracting R194 billion in investment. The document details the role of government policies, the shift toward competitive tariffs for wind and solar PV, and the strategic importance of local content and socio-economic development. It also identifies opportunities for municipal power procurement and the development of green technology hubs, specifically in the Western Cape.

The report examines the transition of South Africa's waste sector from a landfill-centric model to a sustainable waste economy. It highlights a significant gap between current recycling rates (approximately 10%) and the potential resource value of R17 billion that could be unlocked through full recycling. In the Western Cape, the report identifies key opportunities in recyclables, organics, e-waste, and construction and demolition waste, while noting that municipal financial constraints necessitate public-private partnerships to achieve a 20% waste diversion target by 2019.

The report highlights a significant market for green water technologies in South Africa, driven by resource scarcity, rising costs, and climate change. Key opportunities include industrial water reuse, smart water management, desalination, and groundwater development. In the Western Cape, the industrial water reuse market is estimated at R600 million, while the direct potable municipal reuse market is valued at R4.5 billion. The document also emphasizes the water-energy nexus and the need to reduce municipal non-revenue water, which currently stands at 37% nationally.

The document argues that while South Africa has extensive research on the causes of violence and several effective small-scale interventions, there is a significant 'implementation gap' in translating these into national practice. It advocates for the use of implementation research—the study of how to improve the uptake and translation of research findings into routine practice—to ensure programmes remain effective when scaled. The authors recommend establishing an 'implementation hub' to coordinate government, NGOs, and researchers, ensuring that real-world challenges such as staff burnout, participant retention, and inadequate referral systems are addressed in the planning and delivery of violence prevention services.

This report summarizes an information session held by WWF South Africa on October 18, 2017, focused on water saving and stewardship for agricultural producers in the Western Cape. It addresses the critical water scarcity facing the region, the role of producers as stewards of shared water resources, and practical technological and biological methods to improve water use efficiency and mitigate climate risks.

The document outlines a comprehensive framework for managing student internships in the biodiversity sector, focusing on aligning workplace experience with academic curricula. It provides a seven-step approach covering the definition of quality WIL, organizational preparation, recruitment and selection, workplace induction, mentoring strategies, assessment methods, and monitoring and evaluation. The guide emphasizes the importance of 'the right fit' between a student's academic background and the host's operational needs, suggesting a balance of 75% curriculum-related work and 25% support tasks. It also details the roles of universities, students, and employers in the assessment process and provides tools such as a Career Development Map and a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to ensure professional growth and organizational benefit.

The report highlights that South Africa wastes approximately 10 million tonnes of food annually, representing a third of its total production. This waste results in significant economic losses of R61.5 billion and substantial environmental degradation, including the waste of 1.7 km3 of water and the emission of greenhouse gases from landfills. The document identifies that most waste occurs at the pre-consumer stage, particularly on farms, and calls for a coordinated effort between the public and private sectors to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 target of halving food waste by 2030.

The document examines the gap between South Africa's comprehensive climate and disaster risk management policies and their practical implementation. It highlights that while the 2015/2016 El Niño-linked drought caused severe agricultural losses, the adoption of conservation agriculture by grain farmers in the Western Cape demonstrated improved resilience. The brief argues for a shift from disaster relief to proactive risk reduction, calling for better intergovernmental cooperation, streamlined water resource planning, and targeted financial mechanisms for vulnerable farmers.

The document serves as a resource for municipal officials to manage the implementation of small scale embedded generation (SSEG) systems under 1MW. It details the technical components of solar PV, the differences between grid-tied and off-grid configurations, and the economic trends driving adoption, such as a 40% price drop for systems under 10kWp between 2013 and 2016. The guide outlines a sustainable tariff framework that includes network costs, service charges, and feed-in rates, while emphasizing the need for cost-of-supply studies and high-resolution load profiles. It provides a comprehensive 9-step application process for grid-tied systems and lists the necessary legal documentation, including Certificates of Compliance and Supplemental Contracts. Finally, it identifies the national standards (such as NRS 097-2) and municipal by-laws required to ensure grid stability, public safety, and the prevention of illegal connections.