Search Climate Insights Directory

The National Treasury has instructed the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to reduce the number of social grant recipients through strict verification procedures, such as facial recognition and bank account checks, to protect the fiscus. The Institute for Economic Justice reports that similar procedures for the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant resulted in up to 90% of applicants being wrongly rejected. This occurs against a backdrop of rising food insecurity, with the proportion of households experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity increasing from 16% in 2019 to 20% in 2023, and child poverty rising from 55.6% in 2019 to 69.9% in 2022. To address this, advocates propose a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for all working-age adults, financed by additional taxation on the wealthy, to stimulate the economy and ensure redistributive justice.

The submission by PARI, TEI, the Equality Collective, and PSAM supports the Public Service Commission Bill's goal of enhancing the PSC's impartiality and independence. However, it argues that the Bill fails to implement critical reforms from the National Development Plan and the 2022 Professionalisation Framework, specifically regarding the PSC's role in supporting merit-based senior appointments to prevent state capture. The authors propose several amendments, including a new section (12A) to empower the PSC to facilitate recruitment, requiring the mandatory release of reports in the public interest, and removing the President's authority to approve remunerative work for Commissioners to avoid political leverage.

The framework, co-produced with COSATU, argues that South Africa's transition must be treated as a public good to avoid the risks of private financing, such as increased inequality and higher energy costs. It advocates for an 'eco-socialism' approach and suggests specific financial mechanisms, including a Climate Response Fund and the reorientation of Development Finance Institutions, to ensure the transition creates jobs and reduces poverty.

The policy brief asserts that G20 nations, responsible for three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, have stalled progress on phasing out oil and gas due to continued subsidies and economic dependence. It identifies South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency as a critical opportunity to champion subsidy reform and affordable finance for the Global South. The author proposes a framework for progress including clear phase-out targets, the redirection of fossil fuel subsidies toward renewables, and the establishment of a shared definition of a just transition.

The paper analyzes the energy transition pathways of Brazil and South Africa, focusing on the intersection of green skills and social protection. It highlights South Africa's struggle with coal dependency and fragmented skills planning versus Brazil's stronger renewable energy base and integrated social programs like Bolsa Verde. The authors argue that for a just transition, these nations must align green skills strategies with national development goals, increase funding for reskilling, and leverage South-South cooperation to protect vulnerable workers and reduce inequality.

The document examines how Brazil and South Africa use carbon pricing, green bonds, green taxonomies, and central bank regulations to fund their transitions to net zero by 2050. It highlights the inadequacy of current international climate finance, noting that developing countries pay significantly more for multilateral development bank finance and that most climate funding arrives as loans rather than grants. The brief details South Africa's carbon tax and Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), and Brazil's voluntary carbon market and sovereign sustainable bonds. It argues that BRICS nations should use peer learning to scale these tools and collectively advocate for the restructuring of the World Bank and IMF to ensure more affordable and equitable finance for the Global South.

The document outlines the legal right of affected parties in South Africa to participate in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for oil and gas exploration and production. It details the stages of the EIA process—including scoping and impact assessment—and provides a set of guiding questions and a suggested structure to help community members articulate the project's potential effects on their livelihoods, health, culture, and the environment.

TotalEnergies (TEEPSA) is seeking environmental authorisation for oil and gas exploration in the southern Deepwater Orange Basin (DWOB) block, involving the drilling of up to seven wells at depths between 500m and 3,900m. The project faces legal challenges in the Western Cape High Court regarding northern block activities and potential risks to marine life, fishing livelihoods, and indigenous cultural heritage. Public comments on the draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) are open until 10 September 2025.

TotalEnergies (TEEPSA) is seeking environmental authorisation for offshore oil and gas exploration in the southern Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB) block. The project involves drilling up to seven wells 211 km from the shore at depths between 500m and 3,900m. Potential risks include harm to migratory marine species from noise and pollution, reduced fishing income due to changes in fish behaviour, and impacts on the cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples and small-scale fishing communities along the coast from Port Nolloth to Cape Town. The public is invited to comment on the Draft ESIA Report until 10 September 2025.

The document provides a guide for South African communities to exercise their legal right to comment on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) for oil and gas projects. It outlines the two-phase process—scoping and impact assessment—and provides a framework of questions to help citizens identify potential impacts on livelihoods, health, biodiversity, cultural practices, and climate change. The guide includes a suggested structure for submitting formal comments to decision-makers in local or national government.

The report examines the state of democracy in Southern Africa, highlighting a gap between public support for democratic values and frustration with governance failures. Through youth consultations and a comparative analysis of West African civil society networks, it argues that cross-border solidarity among civil society organisations (CSOs) is essential to hold governments accountable and protect human rights. It identifies technology, socio-economic inequality, and youth exclusion as primary threats to democracy and recommends that Southern African CSOs leverage regional networks, such as the Southern African Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (Saf-CNGO), to increase their influence and coordinate responses to regional democratic backsliding.

The report examines governance in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, highlighting a systemic gap between the adoption of policy frameworks and their actual implementation. It identifies executive dominance as a primary barrier to the separation of powers and notes that corruption and structural inequality continue to undermine economic development. Environmentally, the report emphasizes that while Africa contributes the least to global emissions, it remains the most vulnerable region to climate change, with poor environmental practices and inadequate policy coordination exacerbating the crisis. The author argues that empowering civil society and youth is essential for building state resilience and achieving sustainable development.

The document examines the 'twin transition' of digital and green transformations, highlighting how digital technologies can both enable climate action and contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. It identifies critical gaps in infrastructure and financing for developing countries and proposes five priority decarbonization levers: green infrastructure, energy-efficient operations, sustainable supply chains, circular economy models, and climate-compatible infrastructure. The authors argue for coordinated international cooperation, targeted financial incentives, and the integration of environmental provisions into digital trade agreements to ensure an inclusive transition to net zero.

The document analyzes the shift in international trade from a focus on liberalization toward 'multipurpose' approaches driven by geopolitics and national security. It argues that this complexity provides opportunities to embed nature and climate goals into trade agendas. The author proposes a new paradigm that reframes trade as a strategic tool for sustainability, emphasizing a 'nature-positive' narrative and the integration of climate mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage. Key recommendations include reorienting trade rules to reward sustainable production, scaling the diffusion of green technologies, and ensuring that developing countries are not unfairly burdened by environmental requirements. The paper identifies multiple entry points for action, including WTO reform, regional agreements like AfCFTA, and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust, managed by WWF South Africa, provides this manual to facilitate public access to its records and ensure the protection of personal information. It outlines the procedures for requesting records, the associated fees, and the rights of data subjects under South African law.

The National Parks Trust of South Africa, managed by WWF South Africa, provides this manual to facilitate public access to its records and ensure the protection of personal data. It details the application process for information requests, the associated fee structure, and the rights of data subjects to object to or correct their personal information.

The Table Mountain Fund, managed by WWF South Africa, has published a guide to facilitate public access to its records under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). The manual outlines the process for requesting information, the associated fees, and the rights of data subjects regarding their personal information.

The manual outlines the procedures for accessing records held by The WWF Nedbank Green Trust, which is managed by WWF South Africa. It specifies the types of records available, the required application process, the fee structure for requests, and the rights of data subjects regarding their personal information under South African law.

The manual outlines the legal procedures for requesting records from WWF South Africa (WWF-SA) and its associated trusts. It specifies the types of records available, the required application forms, the fee structure for requests, and the processes for objecting to or correcting the processing of personal information under South African law.

The Southern African Wildlife College Trust, managed by WWF South Africa, has published this manual to comply with the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). It outlines the procedures for requesting records, the associated fee structures, and the processes for objecting to or correcting the processing of personal information. The Trust's primary objective is to fund education and training in nature conservation management at the Southern African Wildlife College, specifically subsidising costs for natural resource managers in SADC countries.