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The report highlights that while Africa currently produces and consumes a small fraction of global plastics, a 'business as usual' trajectory could lead to a 375% increase in consumption by 2060. It identifies systemic failures across the plastics life cycle—from production to secondary markets—and argues that existing policy frameworks are fragmented and overly focused on end-of-life waste management. The document advocates for a comprehensive, life-cycle approach, the integration of the informal waste sector, and the development of a new legally binding global treaty to combat plastic pollution.

The report finds that while the industrial fishing sector in South Africa was better able to absorb the shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic due to existing resources and networks, small-scale fisheries faced devastating impacts. These included severe income loss, food insecurity, and harassment by law enforcement despite being designated as essential workers. The study highlights that historical exclusions from formal policy processes left many traditional fishers without essential permits, exacerbating their vulnerability. While some functional co-operatives showed potential for building resilience, the report argues that a lack of infrastructure, education, and formal market access continues to hinder small-scale fishers. It recommends a collaborative governance approach to address historical inequities and empower local co-operatives to withstand future shocks.

The document examines the challenges South African municipalities face as residential rooftop solar PV adoption grows, specifically focusing on the loss of revenue used to cross-subsidize low-income households. It highlights a significant lack of system registration, with an estimated 75% of households failing to inform municipalities of their installations. The paper argues that appropriate tariff design and transparent communication are essential to balance the interests of prosumers and utilities. To support this, the authors introduce a simulation-based electricity decision-making tool developed by Stellenbosch University to help policymakers visualize the complex interactions between tariffs, consumer behavior, and grid stability.

The report finds that Postmasburg experienced severe food insecurity exacerbated by the COVID-19 lockdown, with significant drops in formal and informal employment and a high dependency on social grants. It highlights that 60% of surveyed households were below the food poverty line even before the pandemic, and that food aid distribution was insufficient and plagued by a lack of transparency.

The document outlines the nature of Covid-19, identifies high-risk groups in South Africa, and provides detailed instructions on hygiene, social distancing, and community support to mitigate the pandemic's impact.

The document outlines the nature of Covid-19, identifies high-risk groups in South Africa, and provides detailed hygiene and social distancing instructions to prevent transmission.

The document argues that South Africa can achieve strategic goals—including preparing for ICAO's CORSIA framework, supporting its tourism sector against 'flight shame', and creating green jobs—by developing a domestic SAF industry. It identifies a wide range of policy tools such as blending mandates, financial incentives, and taxation. The brief proposes a phased roadmap for South Africa: short-term (2020-2025) focus on a 2-3% blending mandate and a long-term (beyond 2030) target to replace 50% of aviation fuel with locally produced SAF by 2050.

The Umzimvubu Catchment Partnership (UCP), established in 2013, works to restore the Umzimvubu River system, a critical part of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area. The partnership addresses pressures from climate change, invasive species, and poor land management to ensure water security for over two million people and the preservation of biodiversity. Key achievements include the clearance of invasive wattle trees to restore spring flows, the creation of over 5,000 conservation and rehabilitation jobs, and the protection of 43 natural springs for human consumption.

The document outlines the 'One Food' concept, which emphasizes an integrated view of food chains involving humans, animals, and the environment. It provides practical agroecological advice for South African farmers to improve soil health, manage pests naturally, and adapt to climate challenges such as droughts and floods while protecting biodiversity.

The document outlines the 'One Food' approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health to ensure sustainable food production. It advocates for agroecology—farming in harmony with nature—and provides practical strategies for farmers to manage livestock, soil, water, and pests without relying on expensive chemicals. The guide emphasizes the interdependence of biodiversity, climate resilience, and food security, urging collaboration between government, communities, and business leaders to eradicate poverty and protect the environment.

The report describes the implementation of a groundwater monitoring network in Newlands and the Epping/Airport Industria areas of Cape Town. It combines desktop research from databases like WARMS and the National Groundwater Archive with field-based 'groundtruthing' via hydrocensus surveys of private borehole owners. The project identifies the geological characteristics of the Table Mountain Group and Cape Flats aquifers and deploys Solinst Leveloggers to track water levels. The findings highlight a significant increase in private borehole drilling between 2015 and 2019 and note concerns among users regarding water quality and the sustainability of abstraction levels.

The report examines the fragility of South African urban food systems exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting how lockdown regulations biased towards formal sectors exacerbated hunger and inequality. It argues that local governments, despite lacking a discrete formal mandate for food security, are uniquely positioned to realize the right to food through urban planning, regulation of markets, and support for the informal sector. The document emphasizes that climate change further threatens these systems by disrupting infrastructure and increasing water scarcity, necessitating a shift in municipal governance from being mere regulators to becoming enablers of sustainable, inclusive food systems.

The report advocates for the use of nature-based solutions (NBS) in South African municipalities to address the dual crises of COVID-19 economic devastation and climate vulnerability. It highlights that while national green recovery plans exist, they often require high skills and long lead times. In contrast, NBS—particularly urban tree planting and the removal of invasive alien plants—can provide immediate, low-skill employment for vulnerable populations while mitigating urban heat islands, managing flood risks, and improving public health. The document identifies significant barriers to implementation, including municipal funding shortages, difficulties in quantifying the economic value of natural assets, and rigid public procurement processes.

The document highlights the critical risk that unsustainable groundwater abstraction poses to Cape Town's water resilience and ecosystems, particularly following a severe drought between 2015 and 2019. It details a citizen science pilot project revealing a high number of unregistered boreholes in areas like Newlands and Epping. To address these gaps, the Table Mountain Water Source Partnership was formed in 2020 to integrate government, private sector, and community efforts in monitoring groundwater levels and quality.

The report describes South Africa's plastics economy as a linear "take-make-waste" model characterized by high dependency on virgin fossil-fuel-based materials and a weak waste management system. It highlights that plastic packaging is a major leakage hotspot, with over 50% of converted plastics having a lifespan of less than three years. While a recycling sector exists, it is heavily reliant on an under-supported informal waste sector and is vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil prices. The document argues that recycling alone is insufficient and advocates for a circular economy approach involving the elimination of problematic plastics, mandatory extended producer responsibility (EPR), and the adoption of the South African Plastics Pact to achieve specific 2025 targets for recyclability and recycled content.

The report finds that South Africa has sufficient waste biomass to meet the potential demand of Sasol's Secunda plant, with availability estimated at 2 to 4 times the maximum potential demand. Garden waste and sawdust are identified as the lowest-risk feedstocks. Fuel rods are the most cost-competitive densification option for woody biomass, while white pellets are cheapest for soft biomass. The study concludes that biomass feedstock would be 3-4 times more expensive than coal, though this could be offset by SAF premiums and carbon tax liabilities.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of South Africa's biodiversity, highlighting its status as a megadiverse country while detailing the severe threats posed by illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss, and climate change. It argues for a multidisciplinary conservation paradigm that addresses historical social injustices and integrates local communities into the management of natural resources. The document details the legal frameworks governing wildlife, the mechanics of international trafficking networks, and specific conservation initiatives such as the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project and the Khetha Programme.

The report identifies 5.5 million km2 of 'REMAIN' land in sub-Saharan Africa potentially available for biofuel production after accounting for food security and conservation. Under current conditions, RSB-compliant production on prime and good quality land could yield 165 mt of aviation biofuel per annum, with miscanthus identified as the most promising feedstock. However, this potential is projected to decrease by approximately 40% by 2050 due to cropland expansion for food and climate change impacts. The study concludes that the region could meet between 30% and 90% of the projected 2050 global demand for alternative aviation fuels, depending on whether moderately suitable land is utilized.

The report details how South Africa's food system contributes to biodiversity loss and climate change while failing to address widespread hunger and malnutrition. It highlights a dualistic agrarian structure and market concentration that marginalizes smallholder farmers. To feed a growing population by 2050, the document advocates for five transformative areas: inclusive regenerative farming, optimal water use, responsible sourcing, reducing food waste, and a dietary shift toward more plants and less meat.

The report examines South Africa's public health crisis driven by a transition toward low-nutrient, high-calorific diets, which contributes to a 'triple burden' of under-nutrition, over-nutrition, and micro-nutrient deficiencies. It argues that while government regulation is critical, the concentrated power of the industrial food sector presents an opportunity for collaborative action. Based on a global review and 46 interviews, the document proposes four 'opportunity spaces' for collaboration: creating healthy retail environments, establishing a manufacturer innovation group, engaging smallholder farmers and fresh produce markets, and implementing collaborative social marketing. Key barriers identified include intense industry competition, mistrust between business and NGOs, and conflicting business imperatives.