Green - May 2024 Edition

6 COP28

Will COP28 prove to be just another talk shop or mark a major turning point in global climate change consciousness?

12 CONSERVATION

In an economically deprived part of Namibia, fi rebricks and fashionable jewellery are part of a visionary project.

20 CONSERVATION

The renosterveld that once covered the Overberg and Swartland has dwindled greatly, but there is still hope to save it.

24 TRENDS

WWF South Africa details the sustainability trends affecting South Africa, the continent and beyond this year.

29 CONSERVATION

Through the SANParks Honorary Rangers, thousands of volunteers give their time and effort to help conserve our natural heritage.

33 HEALTH

Our shifting climate has many knock-on effects on human health that are only beginning to become known.

38 RECYCLING

Looking at emerging recycling processes and how they might fi t into the local market.

43 FINANCE

The growing market for sustainable investments is helping people fi nance projects with environmental and socioeconomic benefi ts while earning healthy returns.

47 ACCOUNTABILITY

Watchdogs are essential to help keep corporations accountable to the public.

51 ENERGY

Examining the limitations of South Africa’s solar tax incentives.

54 ENERGY

Unpacking the recently released draft Integrated Resource Plan and its implications for energy provision and the environment.

50 SMART HOMES

How technology and innovation are shaping homes to be smart, interactive and sustainable.

58 AGRICULTURE

A look at some innovative practices that are helping make dairy farming a viable and sustainable venture.

GREEN

PUBLISHED BY

Picasso Headline,

A proud division of Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road (cnr Hillside Road), Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193 PO Box 12500, Mill Street, Cape Town, 8010 www.businessmediamags.co.za

EDITORIAL

Editor: Anthony Sharpe

Content Manager: Raina Julies | rainaj@picasso.co.za

Contributors: Carryn Alexander, Armando Ayales, Keith Bain, Lindi Botha, Trevor Crighton, Dr Odette Curtis-Scott, Heather D’Alton, Dr Andrew Dickson, James Francis, Jon Friedman, Leanne Govindsamy, Ketshepaone Modise, Nirvasha Singh, Justin Smith, Ulrich Steenkamp

Copy Editor: Brenda Bryden

Content Co-ordinator: Natasha Maneveldt

Digital Editor: Stacey Visser vissers@businessmediamags.co.za

DESIGN

Head of Design: Jayne Macé-Ferguson

Senior Designer: Mfundo Archie Ndzo

Designer: Bulelwa Sotashe

Cover Images: istock.com/Wirestock.com, istock.com/AntonioSolano, supplied

SALES

Project Manager: Gavin Payne GavinP@picasso.co.za +27 21 469 2477 I +27 74 031 9774

Sales: Bronwyn Rachman

PRODUCTION

Production Editor: Shamiela Brenner

Advertising Co-ordinator: Johan Labuschagne

Subscriptions and Distribution: Fatima Dramat fatimad@picasso.co.za

Printer: CTP Printers, Cape Town

MANAGEMENT

Management Accountant: Deidre Musha

Business Manager: Lodewyk van der Walt

General Manager, Magazines: Jocelyne Bayer

CHANGE BEGINS WITH KNOWLEDGE

Last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (commonly referred to as COP28) was held in the United Arab Emirates, one of the world’s top oil producers – and one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. The conference generated its fair share of controversy, not least because of comments made by COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber (CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, nogal) denying the science supporting calls for a phase-out of fossil fuels to limit temperature increases. Nevertheless, it was historic in that it saw almost 200 nations agree to start transitioning away from fossil fuels. It’s extraordinary that this was the fi rst-ever climate accord addressing the prime cause of global warming, given that scientists have understood the link for decades.

It’s thus appropriate that we kick off this issue of Green by examining the responses to and implications of the conference – for policy and our futures. We then look at a trailblazing community conservation project in Namibia and the work being done to restore the Overberg renosterveld. We get input from WWF South Africa on the trends impacting sustainability decision-makers and dive into the current and potential effects of climate change on human health.

We profi le some innovative new approaches to recycling, and dig into sustainable fi nance, corporate accountability, energy tax incentives and more.

We don’t have decades to wait between knowledge and action, but the best place to start addressing the environmental – and associated existential – threats we face is understanding them. Hopefully, this magazine can contribute to that understanding in some way.

Editor Anthony Sharpe

South Africa’s Presidential Climate Commission’s key outcomes from COP28.

RE AD

A BIG STEP FORWARD OR A COP-OUT?

Will COP28 prove to be just another talk shop or mark a major turning point in global climate change consciousness?

By TREVOR CRIGHTON

December 2023’s United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) ended with a resolution that marked the first time in three decades of United Nations climate summits that countries have agreed to “transition away” from fossil fuels. The resolution – one among many – has participating countries committed to “transitioning away from fossil fuels in their energy systems, beginning in this decade, in a just, orderly and equitable manner to achieve net zero by 2050”.

SOUTH AFRICA SATISFIED

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy wrapped up South Africa’s participation at the event by welcoming the landmark decision to adopt a Global Goal on Adaptation, citing it as “something our country together with the African continent and other vulnerable nations have struggled to achieve for many years”. She continued: “The decision recognises different theme areas for adaptation and action and has measurable targets that are time-bound. It also recognises the importance of securing adequate public finance for adaptation from developed countries. This is a big step forward.”

ACTION, NOT JUST RESOLUTIONS

Sofia Martínez, global policy director at the Green Economy Coalition, believes that the resolutions adopted at the conference will result in action – because they must.

“Without a doubt, the only viable option is to implement the resolutions agreed upon at COP28. And more, if we want to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. Dubai serves as the pivotal starting point for rapidly transforming economies to drastically reduce emissions while simultaneously addressing the significant impacts already being felt.

“It’s worth reflecting on the fact that just a few years ago, it would have been inconceivable to include language concerning fossil fuels and renewables in any COP resolutions. The inclusion of the ‘energy package’ within the Global Stocktake decision, known as the UAE consensus, marks a significant milestone. Additionally,

the establishment of a loss and damage fund, despite its imperfections, signifies progress.”

Dalit Anstey, knowledge lawyer: environmental, social and governance at Webber Wentzel, explains the principle of the Global Stocktake: “The first Global Stocktake (GST) saw countries assessing the progress made thus far to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The GST is intended to inform the further actions that will be taken by governments in their next round of Nationally Determined Contributions that will be submitted in 2025, before COP30. Time will tell whether or not COP28’s outcomes will be translated into domestic policy. However, it is important to note that various governments and investors have already been taking ambitious steps concerning climate action.”

“THE ONLY VIABLE OPTION IS TO IMPLEMENT THE RESOLUTIONS AGREED UPON AT COP28. AND MORE, IF WE WANT TO LIMIT THE TEMPERATURE INCREASE TO 1.5°C.” – SOFIA MARTÍNEZ

The challenge is that the resolutions adopted are nonbinding and there are no legal ramifications if states fail to take action, says Dr Alex Lenferna, general secretary of the Climate

Dalit Anstey

Sofia Martínez

DID YOU KNOW?

Studies by the Addis Ababa-based African Climate Policy Centre indicate that “the increasing frequency and severity of climate change impacts result in disproportionate effects on African economies and societies, with countries estimated to be losing on average 2–5 per cent of gross domestic product and many countries diverting up to 9 per cent of their budgets into unplanned expenditure on responses to extreme weather events”.

Source: United Nations

Justice Coalition. “The best way to ensure that the resolutions result in action is for communities and activists to hold governments accountable for their promises and also for the rights of people and future generations to a clean, safe environment.”

FOSSIL FUEL SPOTLIGHT

Following COP28, the International Energy Agency convened a high-level round table in February to discuss actionable steps necessary to meet the key energy targets established at COP28 and to ensure that the ambitious 1.5°C goal remains attainable. “The language emerging from these discussions is unequivocal, emphasising the imperative of a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, with a heightened urgency for action in this decade,” says Martínez.

The language around reducing the use of fossil fuels was a hot topic at COP28 and the eventual softening from “phase out” to “transition away” in the final declaration was seen by many delegates as a COP-out. Anstey says that the softening reflects the compromise between those parties that called for a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels –supported by 130 countries, including many developing countries, the United States and the European Union –and parties that called for a phase-down of fossil fuels. Some of the oil-producing countries did not support the inclusion of any reference to a reduction in the production and consumption of fossil fuels.

Dr Lenferna argues that the implications of the resolutions for South Africa and its economy, considering our

FAST FACT

Estimates by the United Nations show that both developing and emerging economies will need up to R38.5-trillion annually by 2030 to cope with climate change.

planned continued reliance on fossil fuels well into the future, are unclear. “South Africa stands at a crossroads: we have the potential to embrace a renewable energy future. If we lean towards solar, wind and storage, we can not only solve the energy crisis, but also create jobs and build a more prosperous economy. The world is moving towards clean energy and South Africa has a choice to make.

“Activists and community members who recognise that the future of energy is a renewable one are challenging government not to succumb to the coal lobby and stick us with an outdated energy model that the rest of the world is moving away from.”

MORE WORK TO DO

Martínez says that broader commitments and agreements on finance remain unresolved after the conference. “Climate finance is not enough. All finance should be climate/nature finance, or at least ensure ‘do no harm’. That, together with stronger language and agreement on Just Transition, so the transformation of the economy is redefined with new social contracts putting people and the planet at the centre

“ACTIVISTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO RECOGNISE THAT THE FUTURE OF ENERGY IS A RENEWABLE ONE ARE CHALLENGING GOVERNMENT NOT TO SUCCUMB TO THE COAL LOBBY AND STICK US WITH AN OUTDATED ENERGY MODEL THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS MOVING AWAY FROM.” – DR ALEX LENFERNA

– what we call ‘eco-social contracts’ in the Green Economy Coalition.”

Anstey believes that several other issues remain unresolved. “There remains a massive funding gap between the amounts pledged and what is required to help developing countries meet their climate goals. In particular, the lack of agreement on climate adaptation finance and adaptation targets was a setback for African countries that have been pushing for elevated adaptation action and finance,” she says.

“A major failure was the lack of agreement on the rules for international carbon trading, pursuant to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Finally, South Africa hoped to have more discussions on the transformation of the global financial architecture and reform of the multilateral development banks and international financial institutions to make them fit for purpose in assisting countries to achieve sustainable development. These sticking points are likely to be topics of conversation at future COPs.”

CLIMATE CHANGE ISN’T JUST ABOUT RISING TEMPERATURES

“People often do not realise that climate change will affect their finances and savings,” says Dalit Anstey of Webber Wentzel. “Climate change is already affecting the insurance cover available to persons living in certain areas that are prone to disasters.”

Dr Alex Lenferna of the Climate Justice Coalition says that while climate change seems like a “faraway” concept to people, it actually impacts so many elements of our daily lives. “Rapidly changing climate has a major impact on global food security. We can see farms impacted by drought, then major floods. This drives up inflation and costs; climate change is a major factor behind the current global cost of living crisis.

“Oil and gas profiteering and price fixing – as we saw at the start of the Russia-Ukraine War – ripple across the global economy and drive inflation. Climate change affects our access to water. Ultimately, it’s a destabilisation of the climate system we rely on for the basics of human survival. Instead of a challenge, though, we can see it as an opportunity to build a more just world. Building a more socially and ecologically just society can better benefit the majority of people.”

Dr Alex Lenferna

SIJWA’S LEGACY OF HOPE

In an economically deprived part of Namibia, firebricks and fashionable jewellery are part of a visionary project connecting a rural community with the cause of conservation. By KEITH

BAIN

The temperature was around 38 degrees in the shade as Lucas Njanji pressed down on the metal handle of the homemade stamping machine that squashes mulch into firebricks. The contraption squeezes out excess water before the bricks, made from a gooey mix of recycled cardboard and charcoal churned in a small cement mixer, are laid out to dry in the sun.

Njanji said he’d made about a thousand of these bricks since joining The Sijwa Project’s steadily expanding team, all local community members with ancestral ties to the land and currently reigned over by conservation-minded Chief Mayuni.

Apart from bricks that fuel cooking fires, Njanji also similarly produces chilli bombs – a combination of elephant dung and powdered chillies. When lit they produce smoke that’s irritating to elephants and act as a nonviolent way of deterring them from crops.

“I live at home with my parents and provide all the income for our household,” Njanji said while demonstrating his firebrick-pressing contraption. “I’m one of six boys and have one sister – none of my siblings work. I grabbed the opportunity for this job.”

Open to the public since January 2020, Sijwa is a nonprofit organisation helping to bring sustainable solutions to the community’s environmental and social problems. Artisanal skills training and job creation are the main focus.

Occupying a compound of simple buildings on land leased from the community, Sijwa is set alongside the Kwando River, which runs into the Okavango Delta.

Adjacent to Njanji’s firebrick division, it was even hotter in the open-air courtyard where three more Sijwa artisans – Charles Kanzeka, Allen Makutela and Bright Yawanu – were

Lucas Njanji

Chief Mayuni

The firebrick and chilli bomb division at The Sijwa Project.

creating glass beads by recycling bottles. The process involves crushing the bottles to a fine powder, which is then smelted in a blazing-hot furnace built from termite-mound sand. The moulds for the beads are handmade using river mud.

The beads in assorted colours and sizes are hand-polished before being taken to the adjacent design studio where another team makes bangles, necklaces and other unique statement jewellery.

CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The Mayuni Conservancy, where Sijwa is situated, occupies a portion of Bwabwata National Park in Namibia’s far-flung Zambezi Region, the panhandle-shaped part of the country formerly known as the Caprivi Strip. As you drive through this remote region between the towns of Rundu and Katima Mulilo, you pass simple mud houses with grass fences, cows and goats ambling roadside and signs warning of elephants that might imminently cross the road.

According to Richard Diggle, WWF Namibia’s business and sustainable financing director, it’s a region that was brutally affected by the HIV epidemic and hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People here live in such difficult circumstances,” says Tinolla Rodgers, owner of African Monarch Lodges, a small, family-run safari business that, years ago, partnered with Chief Mayuni and his people.

While underdeveloped, the Zambezi is vital for many reasons apart from connecting Namibia with Zimbabwe. It’s in the heart of Kaza – the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area – which encompasses protected areas scattered across five countries. Kaza is home to the world’s largest population of free-ranging elephants, sharing space with as many as three million people who live in and adjacent to the protected areas.

Rodgers started Sijwa with her late husband, Dusty, who was something of a local legend, having pioneered several safari-conservation projects that have been drivers of sustainable community development.

Rodgers calls the Zambezi a “forgotten region”, where people live without many of the basics taken for granted elsewhere. “There is no electricity, no clean water and no waste management in the villages. Not a single home here has a running toilet. People walk with buckets on their heads to fetch water.”

In many of these areas, the fallout from human-wildlife conflict is a major conservation challenge. However, proximity to such a beauteous and bountiful wilderness is also an opportunity for local communities to thrive and prosper. For years, Chief Mayuni has pushed to involve his community in safari tourism, thereby promoting the cause of conservation.

JOB CREATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

The Bwabwata savanna is interspersed with wetlands and meandering rivers. In many respects, it’s similar to the Okavango Delta, yet there are only two lodges, both part of a

At The Sijwa Project’s glass bead division, Charles Kanzeka crushes glass bottles and later refines the smelted glass into gleaming beads for jewellery.

joint venture partnership entered into between African Monarch Lodges and the chief on behalf of his people. Sijwa was established to widen the reach of that partnership.

Rodgers says part of Sijwa’s purpose is to address the region’s dire unemployment. She says most income-earners in the area support extended households of around 12 people. Despite two years of COVID-19, by December 2023, Sijwa had brought in R1.5-million. Of that, R998 000 went out in salaries, about R250 000 was paid for rental, and a further R132 000 went to the traditional authority as a percentage of sales. A significant injection of cash into community coffers.

Sijwa is more than just a source of income, though; it is encouraging a more responsible environmental outlook, awakening people to the value of wildlife for tourism to the region, and stimulating the community’s active involvement in waste management by monetising the collection of rubbish for Sijwa’s various recycling projects.

As you drive through this remote region between the towns of Rundu and Katima Mulilo, you pass simple mud houses with grass fences, cows and goats ambling roadside and signs warning of elephants.

Tinolla Rodgers

Allen Makutela

All sorts of recycling experiments play out at The Sijwa Project; this is a decorative wall made using reclaimed plastic bottles.

Some of the jewellery made from glass beads.

SIJWA’S 2024 BIG PUSH

Next up for Sijwa is a residency programme that will provide free post-school education to 15 young people. “School-leavers here have few career prospects,” says Tinolla Rodgers, who co-founded Sijwa. “Most will herd cattle or sit at home, look after siblings, have babies. The course will provide a year of training with experts in various fields – artists, photographers, videographers, journalists, storytellers – who we’ll bring in to run different modules, from basic business skills to working with recycled materials. Not maths and English, but skills that can expand their prospects.”

Check out africanmonarchlodges.com/ sijwa-project for more info.

Also being refined is Sijwa’s beekeeping project. Hives are built and then attached to trip wires, which, when brushed by elephants, set the bees off. Their buzzing aggravates the pachyderms enough to deter them from crops, another way of harmlessly combatting human-elephant conflict. Plus, the hives will produce honey for selling.

A GROWING BUSINESS

Income is principally generated from the sale of fashion items (mostly dresses and jewellery), organic vegetables, free-range eggs and now mushrooms. The lodges are Sijwa’s main customer.

Heading up the mushroom-growing division is Boysen Tuyube. Meeting him, you would never suspect that, when he started at Sijwa early last year, he could barely speak English and was quite shy.

Cultivating mushrooms was a practical solution to a genuine need. “The lodges were paying R85 per punnet of South African mushrooms,” says Rodgers, “a ridiculous expense with a high carbon footprint.”

So, mushroom experts were brought in to provide a two-week training course to Tuyube

HIVES

ARE BUILT AND THEN

ATTACHED

KAZA IS HOME TO THE WORLD’S LARGEST POPULATION OF FREE-RANGING ELEPHANTS, SHARING SPACE WITH AS MANY AS THREE MILLION PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AND ADJACENT TO THE PROTECTED AREAS.

and others who received certification and are now experts in growing button mushrooms, exotic varieties and medicinal mushrooms. Rodgers buys the latter to use at wellness retreats hosted at Nambwa, a nearby lodge. Tuyube also describes the mushroom-growing process facility to visitors – and does so in excellent English, peppered with Latin names for the various mushroom cultivars.

Sijwa’s goal ultimately is to employ at least 60 people from the community and be self-sustaining, so that people experience the benefits of their labour. But it’s also the kind of project – soundly managed and designed around need – that attracts donors, patrons and philanthropic supporters eager to inject their support because evidence of its success is so compelling.

Diggle, who has 30 years of experience working in community-based conservation, says Sijwa is “probably the benchmark community project in Namibia at this stage, if not in Southern Africa”. He believes it’s probably the first truly sustainable and diverse project of its kind in Namibia. “There’s so much opportunity for expansion,” he says, “and tremendous interest in collaborating with it.”

TO TRIP WIRES, WHICH, WHEN BRUSHED BY ELEPHANTS, SET THE BEES OFF. THEIR BUZZING AGGRAVATES THE PACHYDERMS ENOUGH TO DETER THEM FROM CROPS.

CYCLES OF CHANGE

A major milestone for Sijwa was the recent distribution of bicycles to 110 Mayuni Secondary School learners whose community owns the conservancy where the project is situated. The bike donation was a collaboration with ERP (Elephants, Rhinos & People), a South Africa-based global nonprofit organisation that addresses conservation through poverty alleviation within communities that reside in proximity to elephant and rhino populations. This was ERP’s first bike drop outside South Africa and its biggest to date. “When you give a schoolchild their first bicycle, your life changes,” said Neil de Villiers, who voluntarily manages Bikes4ERP, which arranges logistics around getting the donated bikes to these remote locations. He says he’s on a mission to “change the world one bike at a time”. Visit erp.ngo for more info.

The Sijwa Project’s compound near the Kwando River.

COLLABOR ATION IS KEY TO CRE ATING SHARED OPPORTUNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa’s purpose is to refresh our country and make it a better place for all, writes NOZICELO NGCOBO, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability director

We’re focused on delivering on our purpose, and we believe in engaging with diverse stakeholders to sharpen our insights, exchange ideas and accelerate our collective action to address challenges that impact our business and the communities we serve.

Our approach is centred around people. While the focus must be on how best to achieve key sustainability goals, as a collective we need to be mindful of the varied needs and changing circumstances of communities around us in our responses.

The answer lies in collaboration and co-creation of sustainable solutions. As the Coca-Cola system, we use our industry leadership to be part of the solution to achieve positive change and build a more sustainable future for our planet.

Importantly, we want to create greater shared opportunity for the business and the communities we serve across our value chain.

WAT ER

Water is a priority for the Coca-Cola system because it is essential to life, our beverages and the communities we serve.

The Coca-Cola Company’s 2030 Water Security Strategy focuses on increasing water security by investing in water initiatives that benefit nature and communities. Initiatives include projects that provide benefits to local watersheds supplying water for drinking, agriculture and manufacturing, restore and conserve habitats for plants and animals and offer opportunities for local economic development.

As part of this work, we collaborate with partners to understand the inextricable link between water, climate, agriculture and biodiversity.

In addition, many of our water replenishment projects have additional co-benefits such as helping improve soil health, sequester carbon, conserve water, restore degraded lands, contribute to biodiversity and help mitigate climate change.

We are focused on accelerating the actions needed to increase water security where we operate, source ingredients and touch people’s lives. We do that by contributing toward sustainable, clean water access that improves livelihoods and wellbeing while protecting against water-related disasters.

We continue to replenish the water we use in our finished beverages to nature and communities. We have set three key goals designed to achieve our vision:

1. Achieve 100 per cent regenerative water use across our facilities in areas identified as facing high levels of water stress by 2030.

2. Improve the health of watersheds identified as most critical for our operations and agricultural supply chain by 2030.

3. Continue to return water to nature and communities.

Ensuring the health of watersheds is a major part of this.

For example, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) successfully implemented Project Lungisa in Grabouw in the Western Cape, where the municipality was losing a significant amount of its potable water due to leaks and failing infrastructure. Through this partnership, we trained young community members in plumbing to support the rehabilitation of water infrastructure, including fixing leaks in informal areas.

WE ARE FOCUSED ON ACCELERATING THE ACTIONS NEEDED TO INCREASE WATER SECURITY WHERE WE OPERATE, SOURCE INGREDIENTS AND TOUCH PEOPLE’S LIVES.

key stakeholders to assist vulnerable and distressed communities.

PACKAGING

CCBSA deployed off-grid, solar-powered groundwater harvesting and treatment projects called Cokevilles in the region. Nine systems, or water tanks, have been deployed in Gqeberha with the potential of replenishing a minimum of 90 million litres per annum at no cost to the beneficiaries.

Last year, the company unveiled a R12-million groundwater harvesting Cokeville project to supply the entire town of Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape with potable water.

To galvanise collective action, we invest in solutions and partnerships across industry, governments and society. This includes companies within key industry sectors that can help drive the transition to a circular economy.

The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners, including Coca-Cola Beverages Africa and Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, are industry leaders in making our value chain increasingly sustainable in the way that we produce and package our products.

As a system, we have the following global goals:

• help collect a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2030;

• focus on making all our packaging 100 per cent recyclable by 2025;

• have 50 per cent recycled content in our packaging by 2030; and

• make 25 per cent of our packaging reusable (returnable) by 2030.

In response to a looming Day Zero in parts of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa, CCBSA launched an ambitious project to work with the local municipality and other

We seek to drive a circular economy for our packaging because this helps to reduce waste and carbon emissions. We are working to use more recycled content in our packaging, expand our use of returnable bottles and collect packaging for recycling through The Coca-Cola Company’s World Without Waste initiative.

Furthermore, we are working to use more recycled content in our bottles and have expanded the use of clear and returnable bottles – this includes the introduction and rollout of returnable two-litre plastic bottles in South Africa.

Beyond packaging design, tackling the plastic waste problem requires cross-sector collaboration and alignment on common principles and targets.

Nozicelo Ngcobo

We work with a range of stakeholders at a regional and local level. This includes partnering with government and community organisations to strengthen recycling infrastructures and boost collection rates, collaborating with customers, peers and industry associations to shape public policy that supports a circular economy and teaming up with suppliers towards sustainable packaging solutions.

Key to our approach to achieving circularity is setting up Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms and policies. With the EPR model, producers pay a fee to a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), which then uses the funds to establish the collection and recycling value chain by building capability and capacity, supporting collection of and stimulating demand for recycled material.

We believe that well-designed EPRs are a sustainable funding approach that ensures

producers of brands take full responsibility for the choice of packaging they place on the market and enable the collection and recycling value chain for packaging.

Coca-Cola and other like-minded industries came together in 2004 to set up an industry-funded EPR scheme, the PET Recycling Company (PETCO), in South Africa to promote the recycling of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic, taking responsibility for recovering and recycling beverage PET plastic bottles. If done the right way, PET waste management can come with signifi cant investment and economic opportunities.

The PETCO model has proven so effective it has since been rolled out to other African countries.

We are also continuing our transport subsidy agreements with three collectors, facilitating the efficient collection and management of waste materials.

CLIMATE

Our approach to climate change is rooted in science, and The Coca-Cola Company has set a science-based target to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent by 2030, against a 2015 baseline.

Our water, packaging and climate goals are interconnected. For example, by creating a circular economy for packaging, we can lower our carbon footprint.

By approaching water stewardship from a basin perspective, we, alongside our partners, participate in initiatives that increase communities’ resilience to extreme weather events.

OUR APPROACH IS CENTRED AROUND PEOPLE. WHILE THE FOCUS MUST BE ON HOW BEST TO ACHIEVE KEY SUSTAINABILITY GOALS, AS A COLLECTIVE WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE VARIED NEEDS AND CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES OF COMMUNITIES AROUND US IN OUR RESPONSES.

COLLABORATION AND CO-CREATION

We are committed to building economic inclusion and sustainability solutions that benefi t our stakeholders, in particular, the communities where we are invested.

CCBSA has adopted the two pillars of employability and entrepreneurship as a framework for our economic inclusion strategy. Through programmes such as the Bizniz in a Box initiative and our Study Buddy Fund, we enable women and young people to access better future opportunities. Also, through our support for small suppliers (small, medium, and micro enterprises) to our business, we are providing meaningful economic opportunities and enhanced livelihoods.

We are committed to developing sustainable ways to produce, distribute and sell our products and to create shared value for the business, all our stakeholders and the communities we serve.

People matter. Our planet matters. We believe in doing business the right way by following our values and working toward solutions that benefi t us all.

THE FIGHT TO SAVE RENOSTERVELD

Stunning, biodiverse vegetation that once covered the Overberg and Swartland has dwindled immensely, but hope for saving it remains.

By DR ODETTE CURTIS-SCOTT, director of the Overberg

Renosterveld Conservation Trust, and H

EATHER D’ALTON, co-founder of LoveGreen Communications

The debates with some of my colleagues have centred around how much of the bad stuff happening to renosterveld we show the world. Do we show the loss of habitat and the illegal removal of its wildlife? Or do we just focus on the gorgeous pictures of renosterveld in flower, one of the world’s most biodiverse Mediterranean-type shrublands, transforming landscapes into a beacon of hope for nature?

Because, truth be told, lowland renosterveld is facing an extinction crisis – this for a habitat that used to cover much of the Overberg and Swartland districts.

The loss of renosterveld, which is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom but not as well-known as its sister vegetation, fynbos, started with the advent of the plough – where farmers in past decades were encouraged to plough up as much of the natural vegetation as possible to plant crops in this fertile soil.

Today, the result is that a mere 5 per cent of the original extent remains, 70 per cent of which is less than one hectare in size. These are tiny pockets of renosterveld left in valleys and hills where, currently, the plough cannot reach. Only 0.5 per cent of this remaining renosterveld is more than 100 hectares. This makes it one of the most threatened vegetation types in the world.

FROM WASTELAND TO WONDER

When I started the Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust (ORCT) in 2012, I had some idea as to the huge challenge that lay ahead for the trust, but I think I was probably slightly naïve about how quickly we could do the necessary “big” landscape-scale conservation stuff. We had to showcase it somehow to farmers as many saw it as uitvalgrond, or wasteland. It was a way of seeing their land shaped by past decades and valuing the land by looking at the economics only.

At the start, we tried to make the economic case for renosterveld, but we soon realised that we simply could not compete with the economics of crop farming. Also, because so many of these remnants are relatively small or isolated, much of the lingo around “ecosystem functioning” that conservationists are attempting to use to assign a monetary value to biodiversity simply does not apply here.

So, we changed our approach and instead spoke to the heart of the farmer – many of whom love the outdoors – to show them what they are the custodians of. They were introduced to the incredible diversity on their farms, to the wonderful spring treasures that pop up only for a few days every year, to species that are found only on their farms and nowhere else in the world, and to the life that relies entirely on their remaining fragment of renosterveld. For example, the tiny pollinators and small mammals that simply cannot travel the distances to the next fragment.

That’s when we started to become hopeful that maybe we could halt the otherwise inevitable extinction spiral. More and more farmers started connecting with their remaining patches of natural land, so much so that many were willing to take the next step to protect it, by signing conservation easements on their natural veld. These easements are essentially conservation servitudes signed in favour of the ORCT, with a management plan attached to support farmers with managing (and in some cases, restoring)their remnant renosterveld patches. Today we have 7 110 hectares of natural veld in our Conservation Easement Programme, of which 5 705 hectares are endangered or critically endangered renosterveld.

WE HAVE 7 110 HECTARES OF NATURAL VELD IN OUR CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAMME, OF WHICH 5 705 HECTARES ARE ENDANGERED OR CRITICALLY ENDANGERED RENOSTERVELD.

GAINING GROUND

Another arrow in our conservation quiver is land acquisition – a dream that I initiated long before starting the ORCT. Our first success was in 2013 when WWF South Africa bought a farm called Haarwegskloof between Bredasdorp and Swellendam. It was entrusted to the ORCT for management and renamed the Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve, which has since become the home of the trust. Here we house renosterveld researchers, provide children with environmental education, host courses for nature lovers and offer self-catering accommodation to visitors.

More recently, our land acquisition work enjoyed another success. After 16 years of negotiations with a local farmer, a powerful posse of international partners teamed up to buy a 500-hectare portion of a farm called Plaatjieskraal. These partners include WWF South Africa, the UK-based World Land Trust, the IUCN NL Land Acquisition Fund, based

in the Netherlands, and the American-based WildLandscapes International. Haarwegskloof and Plaatjieskraal lie close to each other, and their combined 1 000 hectares mean that we are now protecting part of the largest remaining stretch of renosterveld left on earth. It allows us to manage these two properties together to benefit all the life that relies on these refuges to survive.

FIGHTING FOR OUR VELD

That’s some of the good news we’ve been able to share. Unfortunately, though, we are not in the clear yet. Our natural habitats are still being (unlawfully) removed and degraded, and many animal species are experiencing further declines due to large-scale developments, such as wind farms and power lines, both of which result in significant deaths of birds and bats through collisions. And now renosterveld faces a brand-new threat in the Overberg: mining. Given that geologists don’t believe there are any metals of value in the Overberg, the prospecting application near Napier has created much confusion and even greater consternation.

So, the debates with my colleagues continue. We cannot hide from the fact that saving renosterveld from an otherwise certain extinction is going to be a tough journey. But we continue to tell the stories of hope for this habitat. And right now, there are good stories to tell.

Plaatjieskraal

Monkey beetle

Grey-winged francolin

Spider wasp

EIGHT TRENDS SHAPING SUSTAINABILITY IN 2024

JUSTIN SMITH, head of business development with WWF South Africa, reflects on sustainability trends affecting South Africa, the continent and beyond this year

The World Economic Forum (WEF) published its annual Global Risks Report in January and continues to highlight how fundamental environmental and social risks are to the stability and future of the global economy. Over the long-term horizon, the top four risks are all environmental in nature, and massively interconnected. These include climate action failure, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and a shortage of natural resources, while pollution is included in the top 10 risks.

Against this backdrop, we look at eight trends impacting sustainability decision-makers:

REBUILDING TRUST

The overall theme of this year’s WEF Global Risks Report was “Rebuilding Trust” – reflecting the negative sentiment brought about over the last few years by COVID-19, global conflicts and cost of living crises. With this context, businesses and individuals are looking for leadership and where to turn for credible sources of information.

The latest edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer – an annual multicountry trust and credibility survey – reinforces this view, highlighting continuing polarisation, division and distrust in institutions, especially government, in many countries.

Nongovernmental organisations, such as WWF, and business remain relatively trusted, however, and opportunities exist for innovative partnerships to help solve some of the societal and environmental challenges the world is facing.

WATER AND THE ECOSYSTEMS THAT SUSTAIN IT – RIVERS, LAKES, WETLANDS AND AQUIFERS – ARE CONSISTENTLY UNDERVALUED AND ERODED.

THE TOOLS AND STANDARDS ARE BECOMING OVERWHELMING

There are currently over 600 standards, frameworks and guidelines that companies can reference to report how they are fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity and shielding their stakeholders from sustainability risks.

Global ESG (environmental, social and governance) regulatory regimes are becoming more complex as new and emerging ESG regulation, including in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, continues to move ESG from a guideline to hard law.

Companies will need to develop plans to comply with detailed and often conflicting sets of legal and financial disclosure requirements across multiple jurisdictions.

ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE AND JOBS – CAN WE GET THE BALANCE RIGHT?

As businesses and individuals embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to increase productivity and cut costs, there are also widespread calls to protect and support workers to ensure automation improves the workplace and does not end up threatening jobs – a particularly critical issue in emerging economies with major unemployment challenges.

The findings from a recent International Monetary Fund report are significant: almost 40 per cent of global employment is exposed to AI. In many cases, however, AI is likely to complement human work, and finding the right balance is critical.

THE HIGH COST OF CHEAP WATER

According to a recent WWF Freshwater Practice report, freshwater’s economic value reached R1.1-quadrillion in 2021 – equivalent to 60 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP).

Yet water and the ecosystems that sustain it – rivers, lakes, wetlands and aquifers – are consistently undervalued and eroded. This takes a severe toll, creating a water crisis that harms human wellbeing and jeopardises our planet’s health. The realities are stark: hundreds of millions lack access to clean water, billions lack proper sanitation, and water-driven risks threaten food security.

POLITICS AND A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

A record-breaking 60-plus countries, representing almost half of the world’s population and a huge part of global GDP, are due to hold national elections in 2024, including South Africa.

The geopolitical and economic impacts of so many election battles within such a short time will provide major signals in terms of the sentiment of many dissatisfi ed voters, and may lead to further global instability and slow the momentum needed to deliver global climate and biodiversity commitments.

BREAKING THE SILOS BETWEEN CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY

WWF’s most recent Living Planet Report highlights that we have lost 69 per cent of biodiversity on the planet in the last 50 years, a shocking statistic. Nature loss and climate change are intrinsically interlinked – a failure in one sphere will cascade into the other. WWF’s Breaking Silos report sets out how national governments must strengthen synergies between their national climate plans and national biodiversity strategies.

Likewise, businesses must manage climate and biodiversity risks in an integrated way and look at opportunities for investment in nature-based solutions that can contribute to both climate and biodiversity objectives.

FINANCE, FINANCE, FINANCE

There’s no more certain way to drive change than by infl uencing the fl ow of funds towards more positive environmental and social incomes, and the last few years have seen massive shifts in the world of sustainable fi nance.

There are, however, still signifi cant shortfalls in fi nancing for a sustainable future.

There is a R34.4-trillion gap to fund the transition to low-carbon economies in Africa. To help close a R78.4-trillion fi nancing gap for nature, we need innovative fi nancial mechanisms that leverage private capital for investment in nature-based solutions.

The opportunity side of a positive direction of fi nancial fl ows is huge. Transitioning to a nature-positive economy could generate R191.2-trillion in new annual business value and create 395 million jobs by 2030. The World Bank has further estimated that protecting nature could avert R51.6-trillion in annual economic losses.

Surely the wisest of all investments to make is to invest in nature.

COP28 AND THAT TRANSITION AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS

During 2023, we witnessed at least 240 climate-related disasters globally. As we continue to push our planet to the brink, we are putting huge pressure on our ability to recover and rebuild from these disasters and on the insurance industry, in particular.

Though COP28 in Dubai fi nally agreed to wording around the “transition away from fossil fuels” it failed to commit to a full phase-out. From the perspective of climate stability, this fi nal compromise isn’t enough – it doesn’t follow through on the science of climate impacts or previous commitments under the Paris Agreement.

From the Global Stocktake for COP29, it is also clear that eight years on from the Paris Agreement, we are still way off track to limit global warming to 1.5°C and avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis. As we speed towards 2030, all countries must enhance the ambition and implementation of climate action. As the scientists tell us, every fraction of a degree counts even if we overshoot the mark.

MORE THAN PAINT

PLASCON is committed to finding innovative ways to protect the environment. One such measure is upcycling old paint buckets to produce new ones of equal quality, but with less environmental impact

The mass production of plastics began six decades ago. Since then, the plastic industry has produced over 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic, of which an estimated 90 per cent is not recycled, with approximately 8 million tonnes ending up in oceans annually. Given the excessive life expectancy of plastic products, almost every piece of plastic created and sent to a landfill or dumped in the environment still exists. This puts an immense strain on the environment and its inhabitants, increasing the urgency to reduce plastic consumption and waste and find sustainable ways to recycle existing plastic products.

Upcycled plastic use in paint packaging is revolutionary; it’s a powerful statement of commitment to socioeconomic wellbeing and environmental stewardship. When we choose recycled plastic, we’re making a conscious decision to reduce our dependence on virgin materials, thereby decreasing the demand for fossil fuels and mitigating the environmental impact of extraction and production.

This choice extends beyond mere packaging; it contributes to a circular economy where resources are conserved, fostering innovation and sustainable growth. Moreover, upcycled plastic paint packaging embodies a shift towards inclusivity and social responsibility. By creating demand for upcycled materials, we empower communities and individuals, creating thousands of job opportunities in waste collection and

recycling. This not only improves livelihoods, but also strengthens social cohesion and resilience. Furthermore, the environmental benefits are profound. By using upcycled plastic, we divert waste from landfills and oceans, helping to reduce pollution and safeguarding ecosystems.

PLASCON PIONEERS THE USE OF UPCYCLED PLASTIC FOR ITS PREMIUM RANGE

To honour this call, Plascon introduced black buckets to its premium range. The buckets are composed of up to 75 per cent upcycled material. Upcycling is a means by which we can reduce the amount of solid waste entering landfills and polluting the environment.

The materials of old paint buckets are harvested to produce new ones of equal quality with a lower manufacturing impact.

Through this process, we can reduce carbon emissions by extending the shelf life of used materials, thereby reducing the energy and natural resources needed for new materials. By

ABOUT PLASCON

Plascon has been leading the way in the coatings business since 1889 and has repeatedly set new benchmarks by reimagining and reinventing trustworthy products that will make people’s lives easier and better, without compromising on quality.

Plascon continues to innovate, with a focus on developing pioneering products while being conscious of their environmental impact. With an extensive range of high-performance decorative, automotive, industrial and professional coatings, Plascon is set to continue as a leading South African coatings company.

upcycling, we not only stop more long-wearing pollutants from going to landfills, but also reduce the environmental footprint, having saved the cost of manufacturing, packaging and transporting new materials.

DID YOU KNOW?

These upcycled buckets provide the same structural integrity and a new distinction to the

Plascon premium range, which includes Plascon Micatex, Double Velvet Pure, Cashmere, Velvaglo Water-Based, Nuroof Cool, Polvin and Wall & All. This gives consumers the renowned and trusted quality of these brands and the peace of mind of knowing they’re making the most responsible choice for the environment. Every upcycled container represents a step towards cleaner oceans, healthier habitats and a brighter future for the people of South Africa.

PLASCON

Green is not just a colour to us. We are actively committed to implementing environmentally considerate practices in every aspect of our business. Striving to inspire more ecologically considerate decisions, we have responded to the challenge by innovating unparalleled sustainable solutions based on three key pillars – compliance, sustainability and products. We’ve successfully implemented Environmental Management Systems in each of our South African manufacturing plants and attained ISO 1 4001 certification at all of them. We continue to develop and implement groundbreaking environmental processes to ensure our future remains sustainable.

For more information: www.plascon.com

Plascon website.

DRIVING SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION

TOYOTA SOUTH AFRICA MOTORS is pioneering change for a greener tomorrow, and unpacks its environmental initiatives at the Toyota Africa Parts Centre.

In today’s dynamic world, the drive for sustainability is more crucial than ever. Recognising the urgency of addressing environmental concerns, Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) is taking deliberate steps towards sustainability. The work at the Toyota Africa Parts Centre (TAPC) encompasses a spectrum of initiatives, each contributing to a greener, more sustainable future.

PACKAGING REDUCTION: LESSENING OUR IMPACT

Recognising the environmental impact of packaging, TSAM has implemented innovative solutions to reduce waste. Our commitment is evident in daily practices, where packaging from large inbound shipments is repurposed for export, catering to small and large picking needs. Embracing a circular economy, we diligently reuse cardboard for disc and clutch plate support, minimising waste and maximising utility. Furthermore, we reuse our boxes and sleeves, ensuring our packaging practices align seamlessly with our commitment to a greener tomorrow.

CONSCIOUS CONSTRUCTION: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN DESIGN

At TAPC, our dedication to sustainability shines through in meticulous energy management. One standout feature is our conscientious use of glazing on windows, flooding our workspaces with natural light while reducing the need for artificial lighting, aligning with our energy-efficiency goals. Our dedication extends to our office spaces and warehouse facilities.

We’ve transitioned warehouse machinery to operate exclusively on electricity, minimising emissions and fostering a greener workspace. Security measures go beyond safeguarding physical assets; they ensure warehouse lights illuminate only when staff enter for occasional parts collection. We have also recently installed LED lights and light-sensing technology, minimising unnecessary energy consumption. Our journey towards sustainability is also illuminated by the current installation of 475kW of solar energy with a target of increasing our solar installation to 3.3MW of power with battery storage by 2024.

LANDFILL WASTE REDUCTION: A ZERO-WASTE VISION

Toyota South Africa is committed to achieving a zero-waste future through rigorous waste management practices. In Johannesburg, including the Sandton head offi ce and TAPC, waste-to-landfi ll has signifi cantly decreased from 81 tonnes in the 2018/19 fi nancial year to 27 tonnes in 2022/23, with a projected 12 tonnes for the current year. TAPC aims to eliminate landfill waste entirely by the end of 2025. Key initiatives include waste separation, recycling, composting and donating unrecyclable items to local businesses and animal rescue centres. Notably, TAPC diverts 99.8 per cent of its operational waste from landfills.

TOYOTA AFRICA PARTS CENTRE WETLAND CONSERVATION: NURTURING BIODIVERSITY

TAPC contributes to biodiversity conservation through wetland initiatives within the Parkhaven Pan and Conservation Area in Parkhaven Extension 5. Our commitment to sustainability involves ongoing removal of invasive vegetation, focusing on long-term wetland maintenance to preserve the ecosystem’s biodiversity. Biofilters in the recreational area ensure stormwater is filtered before entering the wetland. The Parkhaven Pan’s wetland is considered nearly pristine, boasting high ecosystem functionality and supporting flourishing fauna, including owls, helmeted guineafowl, terrestrial game birds, and various mammals. The riparian ecosystem

exhibits signs of robust health, reflecting our dedication to nurturing a thriving environment.

EFFECTIVE WATER STORAGE AT THE WAREHOUSE: PRESERVING A PRECIOUS RESOURCE

Water conservation is a critical aspect of our sustainability efforts. TSAM has implemented effective water storage solutions at TAPC with our two-million-litre stormwater collection for irrigation.

DRIVING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

TSAM’s environmental initiatives underscore our commitment to responsible corporate citizenship. By reducing packaging, harnessing solar energy, minimising landfill waste, ensuring safe waste disposal, contributing to wetland conservation, engaging in general conservation activities and implementing effective water storage solutions, we are driving positive change.

“At Toyota South Africa Motors, our commitment to sustainability is not just a responsibility; it’s a driving force propelling us towards a greener tomorrow. Every initiative we take is a step towards a more sustainable future,” says Leon Theron, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Toyota South Africa Motors.

For more information about Toyota: www.toyota.co.za

TOYOTA SOUTHAFRICA

Scan to read about other Toyota sustainability projects.

IN HONOUR OF CONSERVATION

Meet the SANParks Honorary Rangers – a group of men and women giving freely of their time, resources and skills to foster conservation in our national parks, driven by a deep passion for nature and a heartfelt drive to protect our natural heritage for generations to come. By JON FRIEDMAN, member of the SANParks Honorary Rangers, Table Mountain region

The Cambridge Dictionary defines honorary as “a position for which no payment is made”. Giving freely for the love of wildlife is something the 2 000-odd SANParks Honorary Rangers (SHR) – all volunteers –do in the name of conservation.

Chances are you have encountered them on visits to your favourite national park. They might have been the smiling faces greeting you at the camp gates or gliding past you with a cheery wave from a mountain bike on patrol. They might have handed you a pamphlet at an outreach event, explaining what they do and encouraged you to join their ranks.

The SANParks Honorary Rangers is the official South African National Parks (SANParks) volunteer organisation with a rich history. The first volunteers were active in the Kruger National Park as early as 1902, but the organisation was only officially established on 5 May 1964. It functioned informally until 1987, when the Association of Honorary Rangers was formed with 301 founding members.

Today, more than 2 000 Honorary Rangers belong to 31 regions across the country and work in all 21 national parks, including iconic parks such as Kruger, Addo, Table Mountain, Agulhas and Kgalagadi.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the SANParks Honorary Rangers. Over the past six decades, one of the most significant fundraisers has been the Mokhohlolo Bush Camp, hosted annually in the Kruger National Park. This project has been running for nearly 25 years, giving extensive exposure to the important work undertaken by SANParks rangers, veterinary professionals, pilots, the Environmental Crime Investigations unit and K9 units, among others. During 2023, funds raised from this event were allocated to ranger equipment, social support initiatives and the Air Wing.

MEMBER ACTIVITIES

Members can participate in a wide range of activities according to their interests and abilities, from organising corporate fundraisers, hosting educational displays and youth outreach programmes at schools and manning park gates and tourism desks to hands-on duties that include alien plant clearing, graffiti removal, litter clean-ups, anti-snare patrols or looking after anti-poaching dogs at the K9 unit.

Members have contributed to building bat boxes for roosting bats, refurbishing rest camps, fixing worn boardwalks, cutting trails, erecting signboards and even assisting with ranger wellbeing and support programmes.

MORE THAN

2 000 HONORARY RANGERS BELONG TO 31 REGIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND WORK IN ALL 21 NATIONAL PARKS, INCLUDING ICONIC PARKS SUCH AS KRUGER, ADDO, TABLE MOUNTAIN, AGULHAS AND KGALAGADI.

Funds are raised by organising musical concerts, mountain biking or running events, birding weekends, camping getaways and even formal grant applications. These funds are allocated to a SANParks wish list that identifies the priority needs within each park, ensuring that money raised goes directly to where it is needed most.

The lion’s share of SHR funds is allocated to anti-poaching projects, including the purchase of purpose-trained dogs and much-needed equipment for the SANParks K9 units.

The SHR is a registered nonprofit and public benefit organisation and a trusted channel of public support and donations for SANParks.

KEEN TO GET INVOLVED?

As a SANParks Honorary Ranger, you will collaborate with like-minded people, giving you a sense of purpose as you work towards a common goal. To join, you must be over 18 years old and passionate about conservation and our national parks. While no qualifications are required to join, having your own transport is a distinct advantage.

Start by visiting the SHR website, sanparksvolunteers.org/contact-us, and contacting the region you want to join. You will be invited to a regional meeting to see what it’s all about. You will need to complete a short introductory course, pay your annual membership fee, and contribute at least 50 hours of volunteer work every year to maintain your membership.

Being an “honorary” volunteer – giving freely to a conservation cause – takes commitment and dedication. But the rewarding sense of accomplishment, knowing you’ve made a tangible difference, reveals the true honour of being a SANParks Honorary Ranger.

WATCH

Sanparks Honorary Rangers

CLIMATE CHANGE: NO ONE’S HEALTH WILL BE SPARED

Our shifting climate has a range of knock-on effects on human health that are only beginning to make themselves known, writes LINDI BOTHA

Climate change will have a multifaceted impact on our health, affecting how viruses spread and where they occur. Bacterial infections are due to rise and respiratory diseases will increase, causing ripple effects as immune systems are compromised in great numbers. We unpack three of the most notable impacts climate change will have on your health and how to guard against it.

WATER-BORNE DISEASES

Climate change will bring more rain in certain areas while others become drier. This has implications for water-borne

diseases in both cases. Prof Anthony Okoh, director of the South African Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, explains that floods spread biological and chemical contaminants to a wider area, increasing transmission to humans. As infrastructure is often damaged by floods, sewage spillage is common and incidences of diseases caused by E. coli bacteria, such as cholera, diarrhoea and meningitis, are therefore increased.

Dr Caradee Wright, senior specialist climate change and health scientist at the SAMRC, points to last year’s cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, Pretoria. “We hadn’t seen

cholera in Pretoria for years. Then suddenly last year, an outbreak killed 31 people. We will be seeing more such outbreaks in future as our water systems are compromised by extreme weather.”

Infrastructure damage caused by floods is of particular concern in South Africa, where repairs are often slow to take place. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research states that floods are the most frequent recorded disaster in Southern Africa, causing extensive damage to infrastructure. Many communities never recover the resources they had before the floods.

AIR POLLUTION FROM COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS POSES PERHAPS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Prof Anthony Okoh

Dr Caradee Wright

In communities with insufficient water and sewage infrastructure, Prof Okoh notes, residents are particularly vulnerable to water contamination as a result of floods or droughts.

When droughts strike, the absence of running water prevents harmful bacteria from being flushed. Dr Wright says that stagnant water brings its own problems as it provides a breeding ground for bacteria and vectors, such as mosquitoes, that could bring greater waves of malaria.

Prof Okoh believes that water-related disasters will rise as global warming increases, requiring more efforts to safeguard water resources and infrastructure.

MORE VIRUSES

Besides stagnant water providing a breeding ground for viruses, such as malaria and bilharzia, the increasing temperatures brought by climate change will mean that vectors are likely to survive for longer periods and move into new areas where temperatures are rising.

Prof Marietjie Venter, head of the Zoonotic Arbo- and Respiratory Virus Programme at the University of Pretoria, relates how the Anopheles mosquito, which transmits malaria to humans, has been found near airports in Gauteng, having flown in from warmer areas.

“But they can’t survive the winter so the population never takes hold. With rising temperatures, this will change and we are likely to see the Anopheles mosquito in wider areas across South Africa.”

More worrying is the wider range of mosquito-related viruses that will be seen more frequently in South Africa, including Zika, dengue fever and chikungunya. These viruses are traditionally contained to tropical climates, but have already spread to Europe and the United States. Prof Venter says that while they are still rare in South Africa, there is potential for increased prevalence as the earth heats up.

Another threat that has already played out in South Africa is the change in migratory patterns of birds. Prof Venter explains that birds are the primary introductory host of the West Nile virus, which is transmitted to mosquitoes when they feed on the birds.

The mosquitoes then infect humans, causing fever, vomiting and tremors. “As birds move to warmer areas and remain there for longer, the chances for viruses, such as West Nile and avian influenza, to take hold increase.”

Controlling the spread of mosquitoes is one of the most important considerations in preventing an increase in viruses. But Prof Venter says that South Africa’s government has little in place in terms of vector control.

Data from the World Bank shows that Mozambique, for example, is steadily increasing the number of children sleeping under insecticide-treated nets, whereas South Africa has very few. This places the responsibility on private individuals to adhere to the basics: don’t leave containers with water outside where mosquitos can breed, and use insect repellent.

COMPROMISED IMMUNITY

Air pollution from coal-fired power stations poses perhaps the biggest threat to human health in South Africa. Besides the significant effect pollution created by these power stations has on respiratory health among communities living around them, the hotter climate they are helping create will further only worsen the plight of such communities.

Dr Wright explains that already weakened lungs due to air pollution struggle to clear infections.. As the whole immune system is

“AS BIRDS MOVE TO WARMER AREAS AND REMAIN THERE FOR LONGER, THE CHANCES FOR VIRUSES, SUCH AS WEST NILE AND AVIAN INFLUENZA, TO TAKE HOLD INCREASE.”

– PROF MARIETJIE VENTER

then compromised, it has fewer defences to ward off new diseases or viruses such as COVID-19, cholera or malaria. Again, lower-income communities are most affected since they find themselves in closer proximity to South Africa’s biggest power stations.

Research published in 2017 by climate health expert Dr Michael Holland shows that around 2 239 deaths annually in South Africa are due to particulates from coal-fired power stations. Particulate matter is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, many of which are hazardous. This mixture includes both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke and liquid droplets. Fine particulate matter is defined as particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5).

While the internationally recommended safe level of PM2.5 is 12 µg/m3, levels in Secunda, Mpumalanga, average 43 µg/m3, which is why the power plant in this town has been

Prof Marietjie Venter

dubbed the world’s largest single-site emitter of carbon emissions. At PM2.5 levels this high, hospital admissions increase not only from respiratory diseases, but also because of having a compromised immune system.

Wright says that PM2.5 pollution is particularly dangerous as it can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the bloodstream, spreading to various organs. “Chronic exposure to these particles increases the risk of developing multiple diseases and conditions and aggravating existing ones.”

Secunda makes for a particularly prudent case study on the far-reaching effects of climate change on our health. Residents not only stare a cause of climate change in the face each day, but also struggle through the effects of inhaling the emissions: respiratory diseases and compromised immune systems that make them susceptible to infections.

But Secunda also finds itself in an area of the country earmarked for more extreme weather events. Climate scientists predict that Mpumalanga will experience hotter, wetter conditions in the coming years, with flooding

a regular occurrence. This puts Secunda’s predominantly lower-income residents and other similar communities in the eye of the storm, bearing the brunt of weakened immune systems coupled with increases in water-borne diseases and viruses.

The need to reach South Africa’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 becomes all the more urgent, considering that hardly a sector of society will be spared from climate-related health impacts. From lower-income regions battling air and water pollution to high-income communities bitten by mosquitos, the consequences will be far-reaching.

*This story was produced with support from Internews’s Earth Journalism Network.

PREDICTED TO RISE

Infectious diseases likely to increase as a result of rising temperatures:

• Dengue fever

• Rift Valley fever

• West Nile virus

• Tick-borne diseases such as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever

• Schistosomiasis (also called bilharzia)

Source: South African Medical Research Council

INDIRECT CONSEQUENCES

Climate change has a range of impacts on mental health, from climate anxiety to trauma from losing one’s home or loved one during severe climate events.

Acute climate events, such as high temperatures and heat waves, have been associated with diminished mental capacity and increased hospital admissions for mental disorders, mood disorders, somatoform disorders (mental symptoms suggesting physical illness or injury), senility and psychological development disorders.

Extreme weather events may render certain areas temporarily uninhabitable and unproductive, and cause environmental distress and a disturbed sense of place. This can worsen mental health through increasing anxiety, apathy, helplessness, depression and chronic psychological distress.

Source: Department of Health

INNOVATIONS IN RECYCLING

Several emerging recycling processes are stirring excitement. We look at some of these and how they fit into South Africa’s recycling market.

By JAMES FRANCIS

South Africa punches above its weight in the recycling world. Even though small in comparable volumes, it delivers impressive ratios. The country’s recycling rates rank higher than nations such as the United States, and are comparable to Europe, even exceeding those in 2017, with 335 000 tonnes of plastic waste, an input recycling rate of 43.7 per cent, as reported by Plastics SA. Those volumes subsequently dipped but rose again to 344 527 tonnes in 2021. Some of the output ships to other markets, while the rest goes to roughly a quarter of plastics produced locally. Overall, South Africa has a competitive and solvent plastics recycling industry.

“South Africa is among the top countries in the world with regards to mechanical recycling,” says Annabé Pretorius, executive of technical operations at Plastics SA. “This is where the recyclable waste is sorted, washed,

granulated and pelletised into raw material again. There are close to 300 recycling (reprocessing) plants in South Africa, all operating economically viable processes without subsidies or outside financial assistance.”

Yet, recycling plastics is a delicate business. Oil prices dictate the cost of virgin plastic, while factors, such as electricity and labour, influence recycled plastic costs.

Recycling relies on innovation to remain competitive. Worldwide, extrusion is the most-used plastics recycling process. It’s a mechanical process, using rotating metal screws to heat plastic until it melts, then cooled and grounded into pellets for reuse. There are also emerging processes that can further improve recycling yields. Three of the most exciting are depolymerisation, pyrolysis and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted sorting.

A LABELLING REVOLUTION

Sorting waste materials takes enormous time and effort, and often recyclable objects end up in landfills while unnoticed nonrecyclables spoil recycling batches. But even the most avid recycler can become confused about whether something is recyclable. And, the confusing variety of recycling labels does not help. On-pack recycling labels (OPRLs) aim to fix this. Similar to nutrition labels, OPRLs offer clear and visually strong information about an object’s recycling potential. In South Africa, OPRL is integrated into the Plastics Pact, a business initiative for responsible plastics packaging. Woolworths was the first local retailer to add OPRLs to all its store-brand products.

DEPOLYMERISATION

To create plastics, molecules called monomers are chemically bonded into polymers. These polymers determine the types of plastic – usually identified as a triangle with a number moulded into the plastic. The type of polymer dictates how recyclable it is.

Breaking polymers back down to their monomers through depolymerisation broadens the potential to reuse plastic, improving the performance and quality of the recycled materials. However, the technology is still relatively new. Researchers developed depolymerisation techniques throughout the 20 th century, but the most notable breakthroughs have only occurred in the 21st century. It remains complicated, intensive and less economical than mechanical processes such as extrusion.

PYROLYSIS

Similar to depolymerisation, pyrolysis breaks plastic polymers down into more basic forms. But instead of producing recyclable plastics, it delivers fuels. The process exposes plastics to very high temperatures in an oxygenless chamber, causing them to break down primarily into liquid oil substances used for energy and industrial processes. Some byproducts can return to plastic production, but this is a small sample.

The pyrolysis process is not exclusive to plastics; in fact, pyrolysis of wood is an ancient process.

Successful plastics pyrolysis occurred first in the late 20 th century, but its economic viability only became more apparent in recent years through the abundance of plastic waste and demands for more energy sources. Commercial plastic pyrolysis is young, and some do not regard it as proper recycling, but rather a waste-to-energy process. Still, it’s working on finding its place in circular economies.

AI-ASSISTED SORTING

Before materials can be recycled, they need to be sorted. Plastics are not alike – different types of polymers with distinct compositions require different recycling processes. Beyond that, plastics (and other recyclable materials such as paper) often include additives to change colours, improve durability and add special features such as waterproofing or heat resistance. If these different materials are not

FAST FACT

Recycled sources account for 16.7 per cent of materials used in South African products. This is ahead of global averages that are often below 10 per cent.

Source: Plastics SA, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

sorted accordingly, it can ruin the recycling process. Yet, sorting is slow, labour-intensive and prone to workplace injuries and exposure to harmful substances, so some companies are testing artificial intelligence and robotics to improve sorting.

Food manufacturers have, for years, relied on machine sorting to spot and remove botched products or spoiled produce. However, discerning different types of recycling materials is more nuanced, spurring demand for more advanced AI systems. Also called robotic recycle sorting, robotic arms guided by cameras and AI software sort recyclable detritus at high speed. In theory, this process is a big cost saver due to its speed and accuracy, especially as it takes little to contaminate and thus ruin a bale of recyclables (a common problem with human sorting). But while the potential is excellent, the technology is still relatively new and is only starting to gain traction in developed economies.

SOUTH AFRICA HAS A COMPETITIVE AND SOLVENT PLASTICS RECYCLING INDUSTRY.

LOCAL INNOVATION

Extrusion remains the mainstay of local plastics recycling. Though it is one of the oldest plastic recycling techniques, local recyclers use enhanced extrusion techniques to produce high-quality plastics.

“There has been much innovation and progress in the cleaning and filtration of polymers during the mechanical recycling process,” says Oliver Bonstein, GM of the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation. “New technologies in the processing stream do things such as remove inks, odours and contaminants. This yields better grades of recycled plastic. A good example is the flip-lid on Organics shampoo bottles; previously made from virgin plastic, it’s now made out of 100 per cent recycled plastic. It’s completely deodorised and clean, and the bending performance competes with virgin plastics.”

Recycling is a high-volume, low-margin industry, so local recyclers overwhelmingly use extrusion as it is a well-understood process that continues to improve. Given the risks and costs of adopting more radical recycling technologies, local depolymerisation is limited to pilot projects, and few firms use pyrolysis.

“Most of the chemical recycling processes – depolymerisation, pyrolysis, solvent-based recycling – are in their infancy internationally,” says Pretorius. “I am not aware of any plants anywhere that are commercial operations. All of them are experimental plants, heavily subsidised, working on viabilities and feasibilities. South Africa has a good track record in mechanical recycling, and chemical recycling will only follow once it is developed and a proven technology from larger countries with higher waste ratios and well-developed collection systems in place.”

AI-assisted sorting might mature and spread faster, pushed by the general enthusiasm around the developing technology, but the availability and feasibility of such technologies are limited factors influencing adoption. The sector must remain competitive and relevant for local recyclers to benefit from these advances. Achieving this requires more than bottom-line economics.

“Recycling offers a good opportunity to grow employment and protect the environment,” says Bonstein. “We need more precise legislation and standards for packaging, and we need to de-link the demand for recycled plastics from the price of virgin polymers to nurture this very big opportunity for South Africa.”

INVESTING IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD

The market for sustainable investments continues to grow, with a burgeoning range of financial instruments helping people finance projects with environmental and socioeconomic benefits while earning healthy returns. By ANTHONY

Climate change, environmental degradation, species extinction, growing inequality, homelessness, diminishing water reserves … the world is hardly short of pressing issues, many of which are linked to one another in a growing web of inter-related problems that only serve to complicate and magnify each other. There’s also no shortage of people who care about these things and want to do something about them – something to help make the world

SHARPE

a little better or at least arrest its slide into something immeasurably worse.

However, many people don’t know where to start or lack the time to get

IN A COUNTRY SUCH AS SOUTH AFRICA, WITH ITS ABUNDANCE OF SOCIETAL CHALLENGES, SOCIAL BONDS HAVE NOT GAINED AS MUCH TRACTION AS THE OTHER TYPES.

involved in social causes, preferring to funnel money towards organisations with the know-how and infrastructure to make the greatest impact. Others simply lack the resources to do this. And some of us are simply too selfish to give up our time or hard-earned money freely.

So that begs the question: if you fall into one of these camps, what can you do? Well, for starters, you can put your money to good use – for yourself and society at large.

UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABLE INVESTING

Before one dives into what sustainable investing is, it can be helpful to take a moment to think about what sustainability means, says Msizi Khoza, head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) at Absa Corporate and Investment Banking.

“There’s a natural inclination when talking about sustainability to think of green issues, but it’s actually broader than that. It’s about ensuring that society is able to meet today’s challenges without compromising our ability or the ability of future generations to meet future challenges.

“Taking that as a frame of reference, sustainable investing is about deploying capital into opportunities that carry risks and commensurate returns, but it goes further by asking how you can get risk-adjusted returns while deriving impacts that protect against combat climate change and environmental destruction and promote corporate and socioeconomic sustainability.”

A FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE FINANCE

Many financial institutions have developed frameworks for guiding their sustainable financing activities. Absa’s Msizi Khoza says the organisation’s Sustainable Finance Issuance Framework is the foundation Absa uses to raise green, social or sustainable liabilities. These might be bonds or deposits, the proceeds from which are used to finance assets that are broadly divided into 12 categories addressing six sustainable development goals:

• renewable energy;

• energy efficiency;

• pollution prevention and control;

• sustainable water and wastewater management;

• green buildings;

• clean transportation;

• climate change adaptation;

• environmentally sustainable management of living natural resources and land use;

• affordable housing;

• access to essential services;

• employment generation; and

• socioeconomic advancement and empowerment.

The terms “ESG investing” and “sustainable investing” are sometimes used interchangeably, but it’s important to define the difference between these, explains Barry Shamley, fund manager at Investec Wealth and Investment International South Africa. “This difference is best explained by the concept of double materiality. Financial materiality of sustainability topics outlines how sustainability impacts the financial performance and prospects of a company –in other words, you understand ESG risks and how they will potentially affect the valuation of a company. Impact materiality of sustainability defines how a company’s activities, operations and value chain impact external stakeholders and the broader world – in other words, does the company contribute to sustainability?”

A VARIETY OF INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS

The most common assets for sustainable investments are in the debt markets, says Khoza, including green bonds, sustainability bonds, sustainability-linked bonds and social impact bonds. These differ in terms of how the invested funds are used and the ends to which they are allocated.

Green bonds are the simplest to understand, says Khoza. “This is where the proceeds are applied exclusively to financing or refinancing projects with clear environmental benefits.”

Sustainability bonds are similar to green bonds, but the proceeds can be applied to environmental or social projects.

Sustainability-linked bonds, on the other hand, take a broader view of sustainability. “These can be applied to a range of more general corporate purposes, but with conditions attached to the funds around certain sustainability targets that need to be met by the organisation over a period of time,” explains Khoza.

Social bonds raise funds that are applied to projects to mitigate specific societal ills. “These might include water sanitation, access to transportation or essential services, such as healthcare, affordable housing, employment generation or food security,” says Khoza.

Oddly enough in a country such as South Africa, with its abundance of societal challenges, social bonds have not gained as much traction as the other types.

FAST FACT

The 2024 Sustainable Signals report published by the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management surveyed investors to identify their top sustainable investing themes. The top 10 included:

• Climate action: 15 per cent

• Healthcare: 13 per cent

• Water solutions: 11 per cent

• Circular economy: 11 per cent

• Education: 8 per cent

• Nature and biodiversity: 8 per cent

• Financial inclusion: 7 per cent

• Community development: 5 per cent

• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: 5 per cent

• Multicultural diversity: 5 per cent.

Khoza says the market is still nascent and there are lingering questions around greenwashing. “That’s been a real hindrance to the market gaining momentum. Two years ago, National Treasury developed the South African Green Finance Taxonomy, which tried to create a standardised playing field, but it didn’t really go far enough in terms of socioeconomic sustainability.”

Khoza adds that, globally, the social impact bond market is not terribly mature, but this perhaps presents an opportunity for South Africa to lead the way by developing our own standards in response to our socioeconomic issues.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

Of course, investing is traditionally about purchasing assets that increase in value over time, providing returns in the future. But do sustainable investments deliver?

Melanie Janse van Vuuren, Investec group sustainability lead, says there is a misconception that this investing approach leads to diminished returns. “In fact, the goal is to generate long-term competitive financial returns while positively impacting society and the environment.” Janse van Vuuren says there are different strategies one can adopt, ranging from ESG integration

“THE GOAL IS TO GENERATE LONG-TERM COMPETITIVE FINANCIAL RETURNS WHILE POSITIVELY IMPACTING SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.” – MELANIE JANSE VAN VUUREN

to thematic investing. “However, overall popularity in these types of investments has grown as investors increasingly recognise that ESG factors can affect the financial performance of their investments while aligning with their investment choices and values.”

Ultimately, the question of whether sustainable investing delivers good returns requires a broader conception of what returns are. A world beset by innumerable environmental and socioeconomic challenges will likely see average quality of life decrease

“THE MOST COMMON ASSETS FOR SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENTS ARE IN THE DEBT MARKETS, INCLUDING GREEN BONDS, SUSTAINABILITY BONDS, SUSTAINABILITY-LINKED BONDS AND SOCIAL IMPACT BONDS.” – MSIZI KHOZA

The growing popularity of sustainable investments has seen a concomitant rise in greenwashing, whereby organisations paint their activities, products and policies as more sustainable or environmentally friendly than they really are. Investec’s Melanie Janse Van Vuuren advises that investors seeking to guard against this should exercise due diligence and consider the following steps when researching such investments.

• Thorough research: investors should conduct in-depth research into the companies or funds they are considering. This includes looking at the sustainability track records, the transparency of their reporting and the actual impact of their products or services on the environment and society.

• Third-party verification: look for investments that are verified or certified

by credible third-party organisations. Certifications, such as the Global Reporting Initiative, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for green buildings or the Carbon Trust Standard, can provide assurance that claims have been independently assessed.

• ESG ratings and reports: use ratings provided by reputable agencies that evaluate companies based on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. However, investors should understand the criteria used for these ratings, as methodologies can vary significantly between agencies.

• Transparency and reporting: companies committed to sustainability should have clear, comprehensive and regular reporting on their ESG efforts. Reports should follow established frameworks such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures or the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.

• Alignment with standards and principles: check if the investment aligns with recognised standards and principles such as the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment, the Green Bond Principles or the Social Bond Principles.

• Impact measurement: assess how the company or fund measures and

for billions of people. Helping to address those challenges could help maintain that quality of life, even improve it, for the untold number of less fortunate. That’s good for business and economies, and thus for investors. But it’s also good for a species staring down the barrel of its own choices. When the returns are existential, the question becomes not if, but how.

reports on the impact of its sustainability initiatives. Reliable impact measurement should include specific, measurable metrics rather than vague or general statements.

• Engagement and shareholder action: consider whether the investor or fund actively engages with the companies in their portfolio to improve their sustainability practices. Shareholder engagement and proxy voting can be powerful tools for influencing corporate behaviour.

• Sustainability integration: examine how sustainability is integrated into the investment process. A genuine sustainable investment strategy should incorporate ESG factors into the investment analysis and decision-making processes rather than treating them as an afterthought.

• Regulatory compliance: verify that the investment complies with relevant regulations and industry standards for sustainability in the jurisdiction where the company operates.

• Professional advice: seek advice from financial advisors or investment professionals who specialise in sustainable investments and can provide knowledgeable insights into the quality and legitimacy of an investment’s sustainability claims.

IMPROVING CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY

Despite being aware of the environmental challenges, many corporations and institutions remain fixed and unchangeable, doing as little as possible for as long as possible. By

LEANNE GOVINDSAMY

, attorney and head of programme, corporate accountability and transparency, and ARMANDO

AYALES

, senior researcher, climate finance and sustainability, at the Centre for Environmental Rights

Efforts to challenge decades of institutional inaction have seen growing global awareness of environmental and climate-related issues, with climate conferences, commitments and scientific reporting dominating news headlines.

However, climate and environmental activism is most often associated with slogan-bearing protestors. Protests are integral to change-making, supported by scientists, economists, finance professionals, lawyers, engineers and fence-line communities, all working together to call for radical change, offer real solutions and pressurise institutions of power to urgently implement such solutions.

At the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), activist lawyers build and support the environmental justice movement, influence institutions and challenge the regulatory system through litigation and legal advocacy, drawing on several disciplines and informed and led by community partnership. We work across areas of activist support and training, pollution and climate change, mining and corporate accountability and transparency.

DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY

Influencing institutions of power – including corporations, government, regulators, public and private financiers and investors – must begin with a close understanding of these institutions. Our work is therefore led by information and disclosure strategies. For example, the CER’s Full Disclosure Series and our work as part of the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa has focused on obtaining information on compliance and disclosure to make such information publicly available, and analysing the extent to which such institutions comply with laws, regulations or international standards for best practice.

Our Full Disclosure 5 report utilised the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures Recommendations as a framework to reveal whether South Africa’s ten largest emitters of greenhouse gases and the top five commercial banks had adequate strategies in place to mitigate risks to their shareholders, financiers and our planet.

The Financing Fairly reports use a standardised international methodology to assess the policies of public finance institutions (PFIs) in Southern Africa and analyse their projects. Through this work, we aim to influence the scale of finance allocated for the immense change needed to direct finance away from harmful fossil fuels and to ensure transparent and accessible information disclosure and grievance policies. With a mandate to ensure sustainable development in Southern Africa, these PFIs play a critical role in mobilising and facilitating the finance required to implement a fair and just transition, especially for the communities directly affected by the coal phase out.

Shareholder activism

Together with our community partners, groundWork and the Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance, we participate in the annual general meetings of two of South Africa’s highest greenhouse gas emitters: Sasol and ArcelorMittal. Informed by technical and financial analyses of corporate reports and plans and the direct experiences of communities impacted by their operations, we challenge the board and executive management over failures to address historical and ongoing environmental damage and insufficient climate plans and commitments. Using such a range of strategies, we raise awareness to build and sustain pressure on the corporations to address environmental harms and hasten their transition from fossil fuels.

LOCAL AND GLOBAL COLLABORATION

We acknowledge the technological and financial challenges faced by corporations, especially in South Africa and the global south, but we are also keenly aware of the skewed approach to addressing environmental and climate impacts. For example, the ArcelorMittal Group has committed efforts of 35 per cent emissions reduction in Europe while only a 25 per cent

emissions reduction as a group target, including for South Africa. It appears that while operations in Europe benefit from the financial and technological resources of large multinational groups, operations in the global south are left behind.

Hence, we collaborate with actors in the global south to influence corporates to commit the finance and technology necessary to support company-led transitions from fossil fuels, ensuring dignified livelihoods while addressing environmental and climate harms. Our Life After Coal campaign highlights the importance of partnering with local partners to enable civil society to challenge corporations through community-led research.

The direct impact of our work relates to access to information requests and litigation to obtain information or to challenge failures in compliance with environmental standards or breaches of constitutional duties. Our collective efforts have helped improve transparency and access to policies, public participation and the pace and scale of change needed. A watchdog role is a necessary part of our work, especially when corporations take advantage of weak regulatory systems.

WE COLLABORATE WITH ACTORS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH TO INFLUENCE CORPORATES TO COMMIT THE FINANCE AND TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY TO SUPPORT COMPANY-LED TRANSITIONS FROM FOSSIL FUELS.

SMART HOMES

WILL BECOME SANCTUARIES OF INNOVATION, ENRICHING THE LIVES OF SOUTH AFRICANS AND HERALDING A FUTURE WHERE HOMES UNDERSTAND, ADAPT AND EVEN PRE-EMPT THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF THEIR RESIDENTS.

SMARTER LIVING SMARTER HOMES FOR

DR ANDREW DICKSON, engineering executive at CBI-electric: low voltage, unpacks what’s in store for smart homes this year

Nowadays, the phrase “home is where the tech is” defines modern living as South Africans increasingly adopt smart home innovations. These advancements are continuing to adapt and evolve in their capabilities, not only improving convenience and security, but also decreasing energy consumption and thus helping to save money.

Moving forward, we can expect homes to become even more high-tech in terms of the efficiency, functionality and personalised living experiences they provide. We may still be a few years away from homes resembling those dreamt up in science fiction movies, but we are already heading in the direction of smart technology becoming less of a luxury and more of a staple in modern homes.

In 2024, smart homes will become sanctuaries of innovation, enriching the lives of South Africans and heralding a future where homes understand, adapt and even pre-empt the unique needs of their residents. The following four trends will help make South African homes smarter this year.

1. FASTER INTERNET

In the early part of this year, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa will hold another auction for radio frequencies, including 5G.

What the roll-out of more 5G will mean for smart homes is lightning-fast internet speeds, instantaneous communication between devices and the ability to connect even more

gadgets within a smart home ecosystem for seamless integration and control. It will also allow for greater stability and reliability, which will prove particularly useful when it comes to monitoring and controlling critical systems remotely in real time. Ultimately, the roll-out of 5G is poised to elevate the capabilities of smart home technologies, making them even more intelligent and efficient.

In addition, Wi-Fi 7 is set to roll out in the country this year, which will improve internet connectivity to devices in the home and extend promises to deliver nearly five times the speed of Wi-Fi 6. This is, however, also dependent on the release of more spectrum and regulatory approvals.

2. INCORPORATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Leveraging its data analysis and processing capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) discerns user patterns, using these insights to anticipate and implement homeowners’ future decisions and choices.

With AI integrated into smart home devices, these can learn and adapt to a user’s habits and preferences, optimising efficiency, intuitiveness and responsiveness. Consequently, homes become attuned to the unique needs and preferences of their inhabitants. A practical illustration of this is a smart lighting system employing AI to automatically adjust the lighting throughout the entire home in accordance with the time of day or the user’s activities.

AI will also assist homeowners who may not be tech-savvy by enabling them to implement advanced automation with their smart devices without the need for manual programming.

In the future, generative AI will make smart homes even smarter. Soon, these tools will not only help to identify appliances that require preventative maintenance, but also set up appointments with service providers for their upkeep, based on the homeowner’s schedule and availability.

3. SMARTER SECURITY

Technological innovations are becoming increasingly incorporated into various smart home security systems. Take, for example, the evolution of smart locks, which can now be activated through various interfaces such as fingerprint recognition, PIN codes, voice recognition and phone apps. Blockchain is also set to play a crucial role in fortifying smart home security systems, rendering them more resilient and resistant to potential hackers.

Additionally, AI has the potential to analyse residents’ behavioural patterns, promptly notifying homeowners and their security companies if there are deviations or unusual activities within the premises.

4. ENERGY OPTIMISATION

Anticipating a 20 200MW energy shortfall in 2024, homeowners are turning to smart home technologies to monitor and manage energy consumption. These technologies collect and analyse vast amounts of data, helping users identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, automation can assist them in adjusting their usage, even when they’re not at home.

Additionally, as more South Africans embrace rooftop solar, smart technology enables the effortless integration of renewable energy sources to combat the impacts of load shedding while also ensuring that the power produced is used effectively and efficiently.

The missing pieces of South Africa’s new energy tax incentives

South Africa’s 2023 budget ignited hope towards the end of load shedding by proposing tax breaks on solar panels. While this is a positive step towards the adoption of clean energy, individuals and businesses have a lingering question: Will the newly introduced solar tax incentives bring us closer to the end of load shedding, or is this another false dawn? By

CARRYN ALEXANDER , partner, and NIRVASHA SINGH, partner, at Webber Wentzel

The Taxation Laws Amendment Act 17 of 2023, which came into law on 22 December 2023, introduces new tax incentives aimed at encouraging investment in energy-generating assets. However, it can be argued that focusing solely on new solar panels overlooks crucial components, such as batteries and inverters, potentially hindering the true probability of solar to relieve pressure on the national grid.

UNPACKING THE INCENTIVES

The Amendment Act has been keenly anticipated by South African individuals and companies looking to mitigate against the risk of load shedding. Individuals qualify for a 25 per cent solar energy tax on the installation cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, capped at R15 000. These solar PV panels were meant to be brought into use for the first time on or after 1 March 2023 and before 1 March 2024. However, businesses that generate electricity in South Africa from renewable energy sources, such as wind, PV solar, hydropower or biomass, as part of their trade qualify for an enhanced renewable energy tax incentive of 125 per cent on the cost of an asset used for the first time for their trade, on or after 1 March 2023 and before 1 March 2025.

BATTERIES AND INVERTERS AS MISSING PIECES

The restriction of the individual tax rebate to only the acquisition cost of the solar PV panels is particularly disappointing and has been criticised.

While many welcomed the decision to introduce the solar energy tax incentive, the implementation measures were considered short-sighted and insufficient in addressing South Africa’s energy needs.

A functioning rooftop solar system that feeds into the national grid (as supposedly encouraged by the solar energy tax incentive) requires an inverter to convert the direct current electricity (as generated by the solar panels) to alternating current (AC) electricity. AC electricity is needed to feed energy back into the national electricity grid. An inverter and the batteries powering the inverter are a crucial part of any solar energy system, and are thus the obvious sine qua non for qualifying for the solar energy tax incentive. For inverters and batteries not to be covered by the solar energy tax incentive is unintelligible.

MORE COULD BE DONE

Another hindrance to individuals benefitting from the solar energy tax incentive is the criterion that the solar PV panels had to be brought into use for the first time on or after 1 March 2023 and before 1 March 2024. The only clear reason for this limitation appears to be cost saving on the part of Treasury. Again, the requirements for the tax incentive differ between businesses and individuals, with businesses entitled to claim the incentive on assets brought into use for the first time on or after 1 March 2023 but before 1 March 2025.

Treasury explained that by encouraging the installation of solar panels, more power would be brought to the grid and inverters and batteries were excluded from the rebate due to budgetary constraints. Ironically, while Treasury does not recognise the necessity of inverters and batteries for the solar energy tax incentive, it confirmed the necessity of these components for the renewable energy tax incentive available to businesses.

The size of the tax deduction offered to businesses is a clear indication of the government’s desire to encourage private-sector investment in renewable energy. However, the limitations to individuals’ benefits deriving from the solar energy tax incentive mean that the incentive’s advantage is, in effect, limited to a small tax base and unlikely to have a major impact.

When the magnitude of the energy supply crisis in South Africa and the imminent climate catastrophe are considered, more could be done to recognise and address the limitations so that the actual purpose of the solar energy tax incentive is realised.

WHILE MANY WELCOMED THE DECISION TO INTRODUCE THE SOLAR ENERGY TAX INCENTIVE, THE IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES WERE CONSIDERED SHORT-SIGHTED AND INSUFFICIENT IN ADDRESSING SOUTH AFRICA’S ENERGY NEEDS.

Carryn Alexander

Nirvasha Singh

DISSECTING GOVERNMENT’S ENERGY PLAN

ULRICH STEENKAMP, outreach and education officer, and KETSHEPAONE MODISE , climate energy officer, at Earthlife Africa, unpack the recently released draft Integrated Resource Plan and its implications for energy provision and the environment

The government’s draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2024 will not meet its three primary objectives. It will not provide security of electricity supply or ensure energy affordability, and it will prevent South Africa from meeting its carbon emissions reduction targets.

It will fail to meet these objectives because it has not chosen the best mixture of generation technologies to meet its primary objectives on merit alone. Rather, it has been drawn up on the basis that South Africa must exploit its

coal and natural gas resources.

On page one, it states “given (sic) abundance of coal resources in the country a consideration for investments in more efficient and cleaner coal technologies is necessary”. In terms of natural gas, it argues that there is “enormous potential and opportunity” for South Africa.

This injunction to exploit South Africa’s fossil fuels predetermines the IRP’s focus so much that it dictates the form of energy modelling used by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to inform the plan. For example, there is no model for

THE PLAN UNSURPRISINGLY CONCLUDES THAT SOUTH AFRICA NEEDS TO DELAY THE DECOMMISSIONING OF ESKOM’S COAL POWER STATIONS AND BUILD A

FLEET OF NEW GAS-FIRED POWER STATIONS.

an accelerated roll-out of renewable energy with battery backup or limited gas storage – a scenario proven in numerous models (including those produced by the Presidential Climate Commission) to be the best solution in terms of cost and environmental impacts. When renewables are included in some of the DMRE’s modelling, artificial constraints and unrealistic costings are imposed on them to justify the IRP’s focus on fossil fuels.

Given this trajectory, the plan unsurprisingly concludes that South Africa needs to delay the decommissioning of Eskom’s coal power stations and build a fleet of new gas-fired power stations (despite having no infrastructure for gas imports or suitable

Ulrich Steenkamp

pipelines) while reducing the already artificially constrained amount of new renewable energy to be built. This focus on fossil fuels will have serious consequences for South Africa’s energy security and far-reaching implications for the environment and human health.

ENERGY SECURITY

Energy security is not simply about the state’s ability to provide enough electricity to meet demand because the state must also provide electricity in the most affordable way possible.

The IRP plans for load shedding to continue until 2028. To “solve” load shedding from 2028, at least 6 200MW of new gas-to-power needs to come online, and the energy availability of Eskom’s fleet of coal power stations needs to improve significantly (how much this will cost and the feasability are not addressed). Delays and cost overruns at Kusile and Medupi don’t bode well for the timeous delivery of fossil-fuel power plants, while the energy availability of Eskom’s coal power stations is getting worse (it was 51 per cent in 2023; the plan envisages an improbable increase to 67 per cent in 2025, up to 69 per cent by 2030). Given this, it is highly unlikely load shedding will end in 2028.

AFFORDABILITY

The draft plan is not a least-cost plan. It has little in common with several least-cost plans published by reputable research institutions in South Africa. While these plans differ to some extent, all reject coal in favour of renewable energy and see no role, or at least a greatly reduced one, for gas in South Africa’s energy future.

The plan also inexplicably concludes that nuclear power is affordable and argues that adding as much as 14 500MW by 2050 is a cheaper option than renewables and storage. This contradicts all current modelling, local and international, on the price of nuclear relative to renewables and storage. It is also premised on the use of small modular reactors – none of which are commercially available yet. The plan also states that nuclear is a “clean” technology – it is not.

By not opting for a least-cost energy plan, the DMRE is promoting a policy that means South Africans will pay more for electricity in the future than they ought to. The implications of this on energy poverty – an area left entirely unexplored by the draft IRP – are obvious.

The inclusion of so much gas-to-power is particularly worrying because South Africa will need to buy gas on international markets in US dollars. The IRP says this risk will be mitigated by using local and regional gas supplies;

BY NOT OPTING FOR A LEAST-COST ENERGY PLAN, THE DMRE IS PROMOTING A POLICY THAT MEANS SOUTH AFRICANS WILL PAY MORE FOR ELECTRICITY IN THE FUTURE THAN THEY OUGHT TO.

wishful thinking as companies investing in gas retain at least 90 per cent of all production for themselves, which they then sell to the highest bidder.

In addition, by continuing to rely on Eskom’s ageing coal fleet, the plan runs the risk of extending load shedding, estimated to cost the South African economy between R300-million (stage 3) and R900-million (stage 6) daily. These are costs that directly translate into economic stagnation and unemployment.

EMPLOYMENT

Halting decommissioning of coal plants has serious implications for jobs, which will now not be created during a just transition to renewable energy. The DMRE’s South African Renewable Energy Masterplan sets out to industrialise the renewable energy value chain in South Africa to absorb jobs lost during the transition from coal and create many thousands of new jobs. By embracing coal and rejecting renewables, the IRP torpedoes this plan and the hope of a just transition in South Africa.

By choosing fossil fuels over renewables, the plan also threatens thousands of South African jobs because the carbon embedded in South African exports will be taxed via carbon border adjustment mechanisms, threatening to make them uncompetitive in global markets.

EQUALITY

The plan also has implications for energy security and energy poverty as it reduces Eskom’s, and thus the government’s, role in generating electricity. It notes that by 2030, 10 400MW of power will be produced by private-sector utility projects for exclusive use by the private sector. Most analysts believe this to be an underestimate. For example, the Reserve Bank estimates there will be 26 000MW of private generation by 2030, including distributed generation on business and residential rooftops.

Passing the responsibility for electricity generation to the private sector runs the risk of creating a form of energy apartheid whereby those who can afford to leave Eskom will do so, while those who cannot will be burdened with an ageing fleet of dysfunctional coal power stations and expensive gas-to-power projects. This will likely result in regular tariff increases for those who can least afford them.

The implications of this on municipal revenue should not be underestimated.

EMISSIONS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Despite claims that the IRP aligns with South Africa’s international emissions reduction commitments in terms of the Paris Climate Agreement, it provides no evidence to support this. Given that fossil fuel electricity generation is greatly favoured over renewables, emissions may exceed current targets, set to get stronger from 2025.

While the disastrous greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from coal are well known, gas can be equally problematic. Research has shown that if just 0.2 per cent of gas leaks, short-term GHG emissions can equal those of coal. No wonder the Presidential Climate Commission has been unable to replicate the emissions trajectory in the IRP. It observes that emissions pathways need to be “scientifically credible and map a path aligned with science”, stating that the IRP emissions pathway “is not a trajectory aligned with the actual plans in place”.

Delaying the decommissioning of Eskom’s coal fleet also has serious implications for more localised pollution, which has been proven to cause premature deaths and contributes to the development of several diseases. The government, however, continues to avoid implementing already weak (by international standards) Minimum Emissions Standards (MES) at Eskom’s coal plants. Despite coming into law in 2015, Eskom has secured MES exclusions until 2025, after which they are set to be imposed. The IRP lists the imposition of MES after 2025 as a “risk” that will need to be “managed”. As Eskom has already made it clear that it does not have the money to fit emissions abatement technologies, it seems that government will simply postpone the MES once again to prolong the life of Eskom’s dirty coal fleet. Recent research has indicated that if the decommissioning of the coal fleet is delayed until 2030 there could be over 15 000 more air-pollution-related deaths in South Africa.

Ultimately, the Draft IRP 2024 is manifestly not fit for purpose and must be revised in full and transparent consultation with all interested stakeholders and provide an unbiased assessment of which technology choices will best result in a secure, affordable and environmentally sustainable electricity future for South Africa.

TOWARDS MORE SUSTAINABLE DAIRY

Balancing running a successful business with preserving and protecting the planet is tricky. We unpack some of the sustainable initiatives introduced to dairy farming

Living in a time of unprecedented change is our reality – we face challenges and opportunities more critical and complex than ever before. As we navigate this reality, our responsibility extends beyond mere profitability; we must strive to harmonise business success with the betterment of our world.

One example of a dairy farming operation that is committed to getting this balance right is Woodlands Dairy.

Woodlands Dairy began its sustainability journey in 2012, and has aligned its sustainability initiatives to consider the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This journey has yielded the following initiatives.

SOLAR

Several renewable energy resource projects aimed at replacing fossil fuels and reducing

energy consumption and carbon emissions have been implemented at the Woodlands Dairy mega facility in Humansdorp. The first step in a multiphase solar initiative was completed in 2021. The installed solar capacity provides around 1.5GW hours of power annually, reducing the operation’s carbon emissions by 588 tonnes – roughly equivalent to planting 17 558 trees annually.

The company’s COMMITMENT TO REDUCING WATER CONSUMPTION EXTENDS BEYOND FINANCIAL BENEFITS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION; IT ALSO AIMS TO LIGHTEN THE BURDEN ON MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

BIOMASS BOILERS

Woodlands Dairy’s first biomass boiler was commissioned in 2016 with the main objective of reducing heavy fuel oil (HFO) and electricity used to generate steam for the plant. By changing to a biomass boiler, electric boiler consumption was reduced by 40 per cent and HFO consumption by 83 per cent. The second biomass boiler was installed earlier this year and will further reduce HFO usage by approximately 31 per cent, resulting in a biomass increase of approximately 10.7 per cent.

The aim is to generate a base load of steam to mitigate the risk of disruption to operations when a steam plant fails. If the

A biomass boiler.

Woodlands Dairy’s Humansdorp facility is solar-powered.

projected reduction of approximately 31 per cent in fossil fuel is achieved, carbon emissions will be reduced by approximately 1 046 t/CO2e annually.

WATER

Woodlands Dairy’s commitment to reducing water consumption extends beyond financial benefits and environmental preservation; it also aims to lighten the burden on municipal infrastructure.

To address this challenge, the company has made significant strides in water conservation, starting with the implementation of a water recycling system. The system has shown remarkable progress, with approximately 40 per cent of the total water used in the production facility being recycled water over the past two years.

The recycling plant can treat up to two million litres of effluent water daily, excluding sewerage. The water is purified using reverse osmosis to meet SANS 241 standards for potable water. Additionally, methane gas from the bioreactor is used to fuel a biogas boiler, covering 10 per cent of the factory’s steam requirements. Thanks to these water recycling efforts, the company’s reliance on municipal water for 2022 was only 57 per cent. In total, its water-saving initiatives through recycling have amounted to an impressive 203 million litres of water conserved.

These endeavours not only contribute to Woodland Dairy’s sustainable business practices, but also exemplify its commitment to responsible stewardship of precious water resources.

REGENERATIVE FARMING

As part of the company’s commitment to combatting climate change and protecting the environment, it introduced the Woodlands Dairy Sustainability Project in 2014, in partnership with Trace & Save, an independent agricultural sustainability company, along with the Woodlands Dairy Milk Standard.

The company believes that the pursuit of business success should be in balance with making the world a better place. As global awareness grows, there is a mounting expectation for companies to be accountable for their environmental impact. In response, Woodlands Dairy has committed to producing safe and high-quality food products while simultaneously minimising its environmental footprint throughout the entire supply chain, from farm to table.

It has empowered its farmers through the implementation of the Trace & Save SWAN system, which entails the measurement of

WOODLANDS DAIRY HAS COMMITTED TO PRODUCING SAFE AND HIGH-QUALITY FOOD PRODUCTS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MINIMISING ITS ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN, FROM FARM TO TABLE.

farm soil health (S), water-use efficiency (W), atmospheric emissions (A) and nutrient management (N).

Through this innovative system, farmers can monitor and assess the health of their soil closely, efficiently track water usage (including irrigation and product water), measure their farm’s carbon footprint and effectively manage nutrients, with a strong focus on input, output and energy utilisation. Emphasising economic sustainability, this system empowers producers to achieve greater financial viability while reducing their environmental impact and fostering socially responsible practices on their farms.

One of the most significant advantages of the SWAN system is its capacity to gauge a farm’s progress based on the baseline assessment. Additionally, it offers a research platform that stores data and identifies trends and the system’s effectiveness in assisting farmers to reduce their environmental impact and improve profitability.

PACKAGING

Woodlands Dairy aims to provide consumers with the chance to make responsible choices for the future of our planet. Its UHT packaging is 100 per cent recyclable, more than 80 per cent renewable (Bonsucro), FSC certified and Carbon Footprint certified, reflecting the company’s dedication to minimising its environmental footprint. Woodlands Dairy believes that by consistently implementating impactful changes, no matter how small, we, as a nation, can collectively make a positive difference and contribute to reducing our environmental impact. With every step we take, we strive to pave the way for a more sustainable and greener future.

EMPLOYEES

Woodlands Dairy is committed to developing its employees and has increased its annual human capital development spend by investing in high-quality development initiatives to upskill employees. Furthermore, Woodlands Dairy has increased its annual corporate social investment spend in the local area, focusing on feeding and infrastructure. The company employs 1 742 people, who, in turn, stimulate the local economy. In addition, it has worked on several initiatives.

• Support for six feeding schemes in the local area, focusing on the youth and the elderly.

• Medical aid and employee wellness benefits for all employees.

• In 2022, it supported 20 corporate social investment projects focused on education and health in the Kouga region. In 2019, Woodlands Dairy received ISO 45001: Occupational Health and Safety accreditation.

• Development of human capital by creating a pool of talent with the relevant skills, and driving people empowerment.

• As a company, Woodlands Dairy subscribes to the principle of gender equality and provides equal remuneration to male and female employees who perform the same tasks. It also endorses equal opportunities for development and promotion. Woodlands Dairy recognises the need to address imbalances created by inequality and has taken steps to ensure that its minimum wages are in excess of legislated minimums and that retirement funding and medical aid benefits are extended to all permanent employees.

FLEET

The company meticulously manages its fleet of tanker trucks and sales vehicles using advanced vehicle-tracking devices, which allows it to monitor driving habits and vehicle performances in real-time. Through this constant monitoring, vehicle fuel efficiencies can be monitored effectively, ensuring the optimal use of fuel resources and vehicle performance at all times. The company is also investigating the opportunities presented by hybrid electric vehicles.

COLD CHAIN

The company does all it can to retain its cold chain and ensure refrigeration of milk (during. transportation, before and after opening) at 4°C. As the business is predominately UHT, less electricity is needed for cooling.

WATCH Woodlands Dairy Eastern Cape’s milk farmers are dedicated to sustainability.