Search Climate Insights Directory

The document outlines systemic governance failures in South Africa from a youth perspective, highlighting exclusion from political decision-making, extreme economic inequality, and poor infrastructure in education and health. It argues that while progressive policies often exist on paper, implementation is slow and unsystematic, particularly regarding land reform, climate change transition, and youth employment. The submission recommends institutionalising youth quotas, expanding social protection through a basic income grant, and reforming the electoral system to allow independent candidates.

The report examines three community-based organisations (CBOs) in South Africa—Seven Passes Initiative, Net vir Pret, and Hantam Community Education Trust—to identify common elements for sustainable violence prevention. It argues that successful interventions must be aligned with local culture, prioritize the building of social capital, and manage the tension between immediate service delivery and long-term community transformation. The findings highlight that while these CBOs have fostered significant 'intangible' gains like trust and hope, they often operate in the absence of consistent government support and face challenges in overcoming deep-seated racial divisions.

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 document details a refrigeration upgrade at Pick ‘n’ Pay Ceres provided by Energy Partners Refrigeration (EPR) using a CaaS model. By replacing an end-of-life simplex system with an air-cooled, direct expansion multiplex rack configuration using R407F refrigerant and variable speed drives, the store reduced average refrigeration energy consumption by 35% and overall cost per refrigeration-hour by 30%. The CaaS model eliminated upfront costs for the client, with EPR owning and maintaining the system over a 10-15 year term, funded by a portion of the monthly energy savings.

Excellent Meat achieved a 30% reduction in water consumption between 2017 and 2020 by implementing smart water flow meters and internal awareness campaigns. These measures, which cost R 360,958, resulted in a total cost saving of R 1,500,312, including water and wastewater costs, yielding an overall benefit of R 1,139,355.

The document outlines the regulatory requirements for embedded generation in South Africa, specifically focusing on the transition to a 100 MW license-exempt threshold. It details the two-phase process involving connection approval from a licensed distributor (municipality or Eskom) followed by registration with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).

The City of Cape Town (CCT) is transitioning from landfilling wastewater sludge to anaerobic digestion at bio-solids beneficiation facilities (BBFs) due to national and provincial landfill bans on liquid and organic wastes. The CCT generates approximately 199 dry tonnes of dewatered sludge per day, which it currently spends ~R60 million annually to dispose of or apply to land. The city plans to establish two regional BBFs over the next 15 years to produce A1a class treated digestate cake and recover energy and nutrients. Potential circular economy options include agricultural use, energy recovery (biogas, combustion, pyrolysis), and commercial applications like brick manufacturing. Additionally, the CCT is exploring broader organic waste diversion for garden greens, animal carcasses, and household food waste to meet a 100% organic waste landfill diversion target by 2027.

The document outlines the architecture of smart water systems, presenting case studies from Cape Agulhas, Saldanha Bay, and Bergrivier municipalities to demonstrate benefits such as cost savings and improved billing. It provides a checklist for municipalities to assess their readiness and a cost-benefit analysis comparing ultrasonic smart meters to conventional mechanical meters, while listing funding resources like SIDAFF and the DBSA's Non Revenue Water Programme.

The document outlines the structure of smart water networks and provides evidence from South African municipalities on how sensor-based systems can reduce costs and improve billing. It emphasizes that smart systems must address specific problems and be supported by internal IT capacity to avoid magnifying existing inefficiencies.

The document provides a guide for businesses in South Africa to evaluate waste-to-energy (WtE) options, categorising technologies into anaerobic digestion, thermal processes, and biofuels. It outlines the regulatory landscape, including the National Environmental Management: Waste Act and NERSA regulations, and highlights upcoming policy shifts such as organic waste landfill bans in the Western Cape. The brief emphasizes a structured project development process—from scoping and pre-feasibility to execution—to ensure financial and technical viability.

The report identifies significant economic potential in South Africa's waste sector, particularly through the transition toward a circular economy. It highlights the City of Cape Town as a primary hub for waste beneficiation due to its high landfill gate fees and substantial investments in material recovery facilities. Key growth drivers include the 2020 National Waste Management Strategy, new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, and provincial landfill restrictions on organic waste. While the plastics and e-waste sectors show strong potential for virgin material replacement and national processing, challenges such as inadequate source separation, data gaps, and the volatility of virgin plastic prices persist.

The South African energy services market is expanding, driven by rising electricity costs, energy insecurity, and falling technology prices. The market is divided into small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), energy storage, and energy efficiency, with a total available market estimated at R131 billion by 2035. While rooftop solar PV is the dominant SSEG technology, energy storage is emerging as a critical tool for resilience against load shedding. Energy efficiency faced contractions during COVID-19 lockdowns but retains significant untapped potential. The report identifies emerging opportunities such as Solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), behind-the-meter battery storage, and smart metering, while highlighting the role of the Western Cape as a regional hub for green economy investment.

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 report outlines the South African utility-scale renewable energy landscape, focusing on the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019. It highlights a significant transition from coal-dominated generation toward wind and solar PV, with an estimated potential market value of R418 billion for these technologies and distributed generation. Key opportunities include the continuation of REIPPPP bid windows, increased local manufacturing of components, and the growth of utility-scale battery storage. However, the sector faces barriers such as Eskom's financial instability, regulatory uncertainty, and the complexities of unbundling the national utility.

The report outlines a transition toward sustainable agriculture in South Africa, driven by resource scarcity, rising input costs, and international market pressures. It identifies key opportunities in smart farming, undercover farming, regenerative and organic agriculture, and renewable energy. A significant portion of the analysis focuses on solar PV, solar-powered irrigation, and biogas, while also detailing the policy landscape including carbon tax, land reform, and cannabis legislation. The Western Cape is highlighted as a strategic hub for these greentech investments.

Warwick Wine Estate installed a 23 kl/d MBR wastewater treatment plant to replace an ineffective system and reduce the costs of sewage removal. The project provides a sustainable irrigation source of 10 kl/d, reducing reliance on rain and groundwater. With a capital cost of R 1,100,000 and a payback period of 2.9 years, the estate expects monthly savings of R 31,350 after the payback period.

The report analyzes the South African urban water market, highlighting a critical funding gap of approximately R33 billion per annum for water and sanitation infrastructure. It identifies three primary investment opportunities: reducing non-revenue water (NRW), implementing non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS), and wastewater sludge beneficiation. While the Western Cape has planned sufficient supply projects to ensure a surplus, the national context remains water-stressed, with a projected 10% gap between supply and demand by 2030. Key barriers to investment include municipal financial insolvency, lack of technical capacity, and a lack of locally demonstrated technologies.

The review finds that effective violence prevention in South Africa must be context-responsive, culturally relevant, and trauma-informed, often requiring multilevel interventions that combine social support with economic empowerment. It highlights that while laws and policies provide essential building blocks, sustainable change requires community mobilisation and the addressing of structural determinants like poverty and spatial marginalisation.

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.

The 2018 assessment of 27 South African MPA sites reveals systemic deficiencies in funding, staffing, and law enforcement. While South Africa significantly expanded its MPA network to 5.4% of its exclusive economic zone in 2019, the report finds that many sites fail to meet biodiversity targets due to inadequate resources and a lack of approved management plans. It introduces a three-phase approach to move sites from priority (red) to basic (orange) and finally optimal (green) management levels, emphasizing the need for intra-agency and network-wide collaboration.