Urban Earth

Opinion: My car sharing experiment

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:14:04 +0000

Two months into her car sharing experiment Margaret McKenzie writes about the benefits and practicalities of car sharing in South Africa.

Earlier this year my neighbour, Lliane Loots, and I decided to experiment with purchasing a shared car. By coincidence we both needed to buy a car at the same time and during conversations over the wall realised that a joint purchase could work. We have been sharing a car for nearly two months and both feel that the experiment has been a remarkable success.

The benefits of car sharing

Online African hydropower database developed

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:36:45 +0000

An online database of hydropower projects in Eastern and Southern Africa has been developed by Wim Jonker Klunne, a sustainable energy and building science and technology expert from the CSIR. The database includes information on hydropower projects that are currently operational, but also lists projects under construction, stations that have been decommissioned, and, potential sites that have been targeted for hydropower development.

South African mandatory GHG reporting system to be implemented in 2014

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:21:24 +0000

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) expects to implement a mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting system in South Africa in 2014 says Jongikhaya Witi, Director of the Climate Change Monitoring & Evaluation Unit at the DEA.

According to the National Climate Change Response White Paper companies and entities that emit more than 100,000 tonnes of GHGs annually or that consume electricity that results in more than 100,000 tonnes of emissions from the electricity sector will be required to report on their GHG emissions in the new system.

Bridging the gap between education and employment through Groen Sebenza

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:56:09 +0000

The R300 million jobs fund partnership initiative, Groen Sebenza, was officially launched on the 8^th of June 2013. This follows the announcement made earlier this year and the extensive application process held by the 33 partner companies, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), to all unemployed matriculants and graduates with a passion for the environment.

eThekwini Municipality reaches 10,000 solar water heater target two years in advance

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 08:28:58 +0000

The eThekwini Municipality has reached and exceeded their 2015 goal of installing 10,000 residential solar water heaters (SWHs) two years in advance. The number of solar water heaters installed through the Municipality’s programmes now sits at 30,550. Of this number 30,000 low pressure SWHs have been installed through the low cost SWH programme and 550 high pressure SWHs through the Shisa Solar Programme.

Running parallel solar water heating programmes

New eThekwini-GIZ tool to assess the lifetime costs of electricity generated by Solar PV Systems

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:23:55 +0000

An excel-based tool to assess the levelised costs of electricity generated by Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems in the Durban area has been made available to the public by eThekwini Municipality and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). The tool was developed by Boris Westphal and Fernando Zuñiga of Suntrace. A levelised cost of electricity for an installation is the cost per kWh of electricity generated over the lifetime of the installation.

GHG Protocol now requires NF3 in GHG inventories

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 06:12:27 +0000

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol now requires the inclusion of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) in GHG inventories in terms of their Corporate Standard, Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard, and Product Standard. The move by the GHG Protocol is in-line with the UNFCCC which has already included NF₃ in its list of gases that must be reported on in national GHG inventories.

Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF₃)

The 2013 Eskom eta Awards: Turning ideas into energy

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:56:18 +0000

South Africa’s leading electricity company, Eskom has announced a call for applications for the 2013 Eskom eta awards aimed at rewarding companies, institutions and individuals in energy efficiency projects. The 2013 winners stand to walk away with R30 000 meanwhile the runners- up will each win R5 000.

All entries close on the 2^nd of August 2013. There will be two judging sessions on 23 August and 27 September after which the awards will be held at a gala event on 4^th December 2013 in Gauteng.

Key considerations for green roof installations in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 06:42:58 +0000

“People have this idea that green roofs have to exist on large public or commercial buildings; however, a green roof can exist on a dog kennel, which in its own is an ecosystem,” says Clive Greenstone, owner of Green Roof Designs at a recent lecture on Green Roofs to the Durban branch of the Botanical Society of South Africa.

Greenpeace Africa installs 10kWp Solar PV system

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:55:30 +0000

Greenpeace Africa has completed the installation of a 10kWp solar PV system on the roof top of its Johannesburg Offices. “Greenpeace as an organisation is pushing for renewable energy across the world. As Greenpeace Africa we felt we should walk the talk,” says Ruth Mhlanga Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Africa.

The 10kWp system is made up of 44 individual panels and is expected to generate greater or equal to 15,000 kWh annually. The Greenpeace Africa offices currently use approximately 14,400 kWh of electricity a year.

Survey to establish vervet monkey distribution in urban areas of KZN

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:26:30 +0000

Lindsay Patterson, an MSc student at the University of KwaZulu- Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus is conducting a survey on urban wildlife in suburban areas of KwaZulu- Natal (KZN) as part of her research on urban Vervet ecology. The aim of the research says Patterson, is to “gain deeper insight into public opinion, and understanding of urban wildlife”. The survey is part of a study of wildlife in urban areas.

Smarter electricity planning will save South Africa R162 billion in electricity investment says report

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 07:08:58 +0000

A new report, ‘Smart Electricity Planning’ by the Electricity Governance Initiative of South Africa shows that with ’smarter electricity planning’, South Africa could save in the region of R162 billion if smarter expenditure in energy infrastructure was made. The figure comes from a comparison with the country’s current energy future as outlined in the Integrated Resource Plan2010 (IRP2010), a plan that proposes the country’s energy mix for the next two decades.

WESSA to reward outstanding national environmentalists

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Fri, 31 May 2013 06:13:21 +0000

The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) has made a call for nominations for their 2013 WESSA National Awards. The call is open to all volunteers, individuals, groups or organisations that have made a positive impact on the environmental conservation and environmental education sector.

The awards are presented in the form of a citation, which is framed and presented to the recipient. The awards will be presented at an annual WESSA function in September this year.

National Biodiversity and Business Network to assist businesses to integrate biodiversity issues into their strategies

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 29 May 2013 06:02:51 +0000

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) in collaboration with its partners has spearheaded the development of The National Biodiversity and Business Network (NBBN) which is aimed at facilitating the mainstreaming of biodiversity issues into business strategies and operations in South Africa. The NBBN has been developed in response to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Partnership for Business and Biodiversity which encourages the development of national business and biodiversity initiatives.

Global green and healthy hospitals network launched in South Africa

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 27 May 2013 07:18:45 +0000

GroundWork, is working with and encouraging South Africa Hospitals to join the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network (GGHHN). GroundWork, a South African non-governmental organisation (NGO), has embarked on this drive in collaboration with the international NGO Health Care Without Harm the founders of the GGHHN.

230% growth in volume of glass recycled since 2006 says The Glass Recycling Company of SA

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:19:02 +0000

Annual glass recycling volumes in South Africa have grown by 230% since the inception of The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC) in 2006, this is according to the company’s latest annual review for the 2011/12 period.

Call for young sustainable development researchers to apply for international mentorship programme in Germany

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:29:40 +0000

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is calling for young researchers to enter the annual Green Talents- International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development competition. Applications close on the 9^th June 2013.

This opportunity is open to all international young aspiring researchers with unique solutions for a sustainable future. This is open to researchers across the globe and in various disciplines of research relating to sustainable development.

Vodacom implements state of the art rainwater harvesting project at Midrand Head Office

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:29:44 +0000

Vodacom will now harvest 1 million litres of rainwater per month at their Midrand Head Office from their newly established rainwater harvesting project. The project was established to reduce the company’s dependency on municipal water and to align themselves with local government initiatives, such as Joburg’s Growth and Development Strategy 2040. The water harvested will mainly be used for cooling down the company’s air conditioning system at the Vodacom Commercial Park building. The water will also be used to irrigate the company’s gardens on the Vodacom Commercial Park premises.

NBI survey on barriers to accessing climate finance

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:29:47 +0000

The National Business Initiative (NBI) together with KPMG’s Climate Change and Sustainability Unit is conducting a study on the private sector’s ability to access finance for low carbon projects in South Africa. The study aims to understand and analyse the barriers faced by the private sector in investing in low carbon projects with the aim of increasing investment in low carbon projects in the country.

South African Solar thermal technology platform launched

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:32:33 +0000

The South African Solar Thermal Technology Platform (SA-STTP) was launched on 17^th May 2013 in Pretoria. The main purpose of SA-STTP is to develop a national solar thermal roadmap and implementation plan to promote the growth of solar thermal technology in South Africa.

100 MW Sere wind farm gets going as Siemens Energy awarded contract

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:41:21 +0000

Siemens Energy Sector has been awarded the contract to supply wind turbines for Eskom’s 100MW Sere Wind farm. A division of the Siemens Group, the company announced that it will supply 46 wind turbines for the wind farm to be located on the 3,700 hectare site near Vredendaal on the West Coast of South Africa. It is estimated the farm will start feeding electricity to the grid during the first half of 2014 and will be Eskom’s largest utility size renewable energy project coming in at a total cost of almost R2.5 billion.

First African Marine Debris Summit to share learning on marine debris

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:10:34 +0000

In a first for the African continent, a conference on marine debris will be held on the 6-8 June 2013 in Cape Town. The African Marine Debris Summit will be hosted by Plastics SA, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the United Nations Environment Programme.

What is marine debris?

Urban Earth welcomes Tholakele Nene

mkaz5@produkcjafilmowa.pl (editor) — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:41:31 +0000

Some of you might have noticed a new name that keeps reappearing on a number of articles on our website and on our newsletter and some of you might not have noticed, you are forgiven!

Well to put everyone at ease Tholakele Nene is not a pseudonym we use for one of our writers, it’s an actual person and we have the pleasure of introducing her to our readers and officially welcome her to our team.

Smart office toolkit guides businesses to green their offices

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:31:06 +0000

The City of Cape Town has designed a practical step by step green office toolkit aimed at assisting businesses that want to implement sustainability initiatives in the workplace. The handbook starts with a short overview of the main environmental concerns, and then provides five simple steps that you can follow to make your office more sustainable. These include:

Step1: Get buy-in

Greenhouse Gas Protocol releases technical guide for calculating scope 3 emissions

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:45:19 +0000

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol has released technical guidelines for calculating Scope Three emissions. The guidelines are a supplement to the GHG Protocol’s Corporate Value Chain (Scope Three) Accounting & Reporting Standard.

New road map proposes possible incentives for locally made electric vehicles

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:48:41 +0000

The government will reimburse manufacturers of electric vehicles 35% of their productions cost over a period of three years, should the proposed Department of Trade and Industry’s Electronic Vehicle Industry Road Map (EVIRM) be approved by Cabinet. Producers will have to locally produce a minimum of 5,000 electric cars in order to qualify for the proposed rebate. The EVIRM proposes a range of incentives aimed at stimulating the growth of the electric vehicle industry.

The Eco-Logic Awards: Promoting environmental awareness

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:40 +0000

Entries are now open for the Eco-Logic Awards until 30 June 2013.

The Eco-Logic Awards were launched in 2011 by Enviropaedia with the idea of motivating and educating consumers “to use their consumer power to drive social and environmental sustainability i.e. to buy goods and services from organisations that demonstrate a genuine care for people and planet”, says David Parry- Davis, Publishing Editor of the Enviropaedia Awards.

The awards are divided into 13 categories:

The benefits of voluntary carbon reporting in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:22:35 +0000

“Voluntary reporting provides significant benefits to justify action regardless of mandatory requirements”, this is according to a recent report by the National Business Institute entitled “The benefits of voluntary greenhouse gas accounting in the context of mandatory reporting”. Many countries around the world are starting to legislate the reporting of carbon information.

National Treasury releases carbon tax policy paper for public comment

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:34:35 +0000

National Treasury has released a carbon tax policy paper for South Africa. The policy paper lays out the details of a proposed Carbon Tax for South Africa that is expected to be implemented on 1^st January 2015. The public has been invited to provide comment on the carbon tax policy paper. The deadline for comment is 2^nd August 2013.

First South African-owned solar PV manufacturer sets up in Durban

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:50:44 +0000

New solar PV manufacturer, ARTSolar has become one of the most advanced solar manufacturing facilities in Africa. With a capacity to make 250,000 solar PV modules per year the facility, located in New Germany, is also one of the most productive.

Changing the face of energy in South Africa through the SANEA Awards

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:07:45 +0000

Nominations are now open for the 2013 SANEA Awards which recognise individuals, institutions and departments for their efforts in providing and promoting an ongoing and secure energy supply and use for the benefit of all. The awards aim to contribute to a healthy and sustainable energy sector. Nominations close on the 31^st May 2013.

The SANEA awards are aimed at encouraging and recognising sustainable energy innovation and action taken by individuals and organisations to address future energy needs.

Solar thermal technology platform for South Africa to be launched in May

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:59:42 +0000

The South African Solar Thermal Technology Platform (SA-STTP) is being launched on 17th May in Pretoria facilitated by AEE INTEC, in collaboration with the Sustainable Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES), the Sustainable Society of Southern Africa (SESSA), and sponsored by the Austrian Development Agency who is the core funder.

Garages urged to participate in initiative to recycle empty motor oil containers

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:27:22 +0000

“We are appealing to all garages to be part of our initiative to recycle empty motor oil containers,” says Rodrick Resandt the Cape Province Branch Manager for Collect-a-Can. The country-wide initiative assists garages to responsibly dispose of empty motor oil containers.

SEED Awards for start up entrepreneurs in sustainable development

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:24:58 +0000

The SEED awards are international awards aimed at motivating and supporting start up entrepreneurs for sustainable development. The awards focus on the social, environmental and economic development sector in developing and emerging counties. Entries close on 12th June 2013.

The awards this year will be given as follows:

Department of Science and Technology launches national waste sector survey

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:11:05 +0000

The National Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched a national initiative to survey the South African waste sector. The purpose of the survey it to establish a quantitative baseline of the size and skill base of the sector.

The sector is currently estimated to be in the region of R10 Billion. However, there is no accurate information confirming the current size of the sector. DST will use the survey results to measure growth in the waste sector over the next few years in response to government interventions.

Menlyn Maine launches car pool portal to promote ride sharing

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:30:42 +0000

Menlyn Maine has launched an on-line car pool portal to promote ride sharing between employees of its tenants and occupants. The portal allows employees of tenants and occupiers of the Menlyn Maine precinct to register their journey details on site. The portal then analyses registered journey details and identifies employees that could share lifts.

Seven tips for making your organisation more energy efficient

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:43:59 +0000

Making an organisation energy efficient can be a daunting task. This article outlines seven key tips to help you make your organisation energy efficient.

Tip One: Monitor your energy use

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This oft-repeated phrase is particularly applicable to energy. If you don’t know how much energy you are using and what is using that energy it is very difficult to identify ways of making savings.

Rewarding innovative sustainable solutions- the 2013 SAB Social Innovation Awards

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:33:21 +0000

Entries for the 2013 South African Breweries (SAB) Foundation Social Innovation Awards are now open to all individual innovators, entrepreneurs, NGOs, corporate foundations, corporate social investment professionals, consulting firms and university departments.

Entries close on Tuesday, 7^th May at 12:00pm.

Mail & Guardian Awards: A decade of greening the future

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:57:43 +0000

Entries for the Mail and Guardian Greening the Future Awards 2013 are now open.

First launched in 2003 the awards are aimed at celebrating best practice projects in business. This year the awards will be celebrating ten years since they were first initiated. The awards are divided up into six categories which include:

GHG Protocol releases agricultural sector supplement for public comment

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:39:04 +0000

The GHG Protocol has developed another draft supplement to the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, this time targeted at the agricultural sector. The agricultural supplement is in draft form and the GHG Protocol has asked for the public to comment on the draft by the 31st May 2013. At the same time the GHG Protocol will be testing the supplement with selected companies.

Urban Earth offsets it carbon emissions for 2012

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:40:59 +0000

Urban Earth has offset its carbon footprint of 6,469 kg CO₂e for the 2012 year by purchasing carbon credits on the voluntary market from Credible Carbon, a South African based voluntary market carbon registry.

Hout Bay Recycling Co-op

The cost savings of installing a Solar PV Embedded Power Generator: Experiences of Sachet Manufacturing

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:34:57 +0000

Sachet Manufacturing, a Durban based plant, recently commissioned Infinity Renewable Energy to install a 30 kW Solar PV plant on their roof top. The initiative forms part of the overall sustainability strategy of Sachet Manufacturing and the final installation is expected to be completed by end of June 2013 explains Pierre Basson of Infinity Renewable Energy.

Reduction in electricity costs

Registrations to exhibit at the 2013 eThekwini Municipality Sustainable Living Exhibition are now open

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:22:47 +0000

eThekwini Municipality’s Imagine Durban Project will host its fourth Sustainable Living Exhibition from the 6^th-8^th September 2013 and is inviting organisations that are interested in exhibiting to register by the 31^st May 2013. The aim of the exhibition is to inspire eThekwini Municipality residents and organisations to adopt a sustainable lifestyle in order to reduce our impact on the environment. Last year the exhibition was attended by over 12,000 people.

Climate change to negatively impact on Cape wine production

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:26:29 +0000

The Cape Region is predicted to experience a 55% decline in land area that is currently suitable for wine grape growing by 2050. This is according to a paper on the impact of climate change on wine production and biodiversity published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal.

Nominations are open for the 2013 eThekwini Municipality Mayoral Awards in the Biodiversity Category

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:28:19 +0000

Nominations are now open for the 2013 eThekwini Municipality Mayor’s Awards for Excellence, in the Biodiversity category. The aim of the award in the Biodiversity category is to recognise the efforts of eThekwini citizens, organisations and communities that are working to conserve and enhance biodiversity in the eThekwini Municipal Area.

South African PET plastic bottles recycling rate 45% in 2012

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 09:23:48 +0000

The recycling rate of post-consumer PET plastic bottles (Polyethylene Terephthalate) has risen from 42% in 2011 to 45% in 2012, according to the PET Plastic Recycling Company (PETCO). The CEO of PETCO, Cheri Scholtz says “By recycling 45% of post –consumer beverage PET, we achieved a full 1% more than what was targeted for 2012.” Recycling volumes increased by 7,718 tonnes from 42,562 tonnes in 2011 to 50,280 tonnes in 2012. According to PETCO, over 1.9 billion PET bottles were recycled in 2012, equivalent to 5.3 million bottles every day.

Woolworths pilot solar PV on Cape Town head office rooftop

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:04:01 +0000

Retailer, Woolworths has piloted a 30kWp solar PV rooftop installation at their head office in Cape Town. Consisting of 120 x 250w surface mounted solar PV panels the project comes on the back of a number of energy efficiency interventions the retail giant has tested over the past few years. The move towards testing renewable energy in their facilities is part of a long term strategy. “We’ve done a lot of work around energy efficiency. The next natural investment for us was renewable energy.

USE-IT calls for nominations for board members in Durban

mkaz5@produkcjafilmowa.pl (editor) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:35:11 +0000

USE-IT, a section 21 Durban based company that aims to identify waste beneficiation opportunities in the eThekwini Municipal Area, is calling for nominations for new board members. Nominations close on the 29^th April 2013.

The aim of USE-IT is to identify waste beneficiation opportunities that will divert waste material from landfill and result in the creation of jobs in the green economy. USE-IT receives support from eThekwini Municipality and is currently involved in seventeen on-going waste recovery projects and has created over 600 jobs in the sector.

Clean Tech Conference October 2013: Investment Matchmaking

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:57:21 +0000

This October Viridis Africa, a green investments company, will host a two day Clean Technology business and matchmaking conference dedicated to entrepreneurs and corporates who are seeking funding to introduce clean technology solutions.

The two day conference will be held on 15^th and 16^th October in Johannesburg.

The Free State’s Central University of Technology to run courses in renewable energy and energy efficiency

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:57:55 +0000

The Central University of Technology (CUT) in the Free-State has designed two courses in the renewable energy sector which aim to help alleviate the pressure off South Africa’s electricity supplement.

The initiative is the brainchild of two of CUT’s leading Electrical Engineer professors: Herman Vermaak and Johan Raath who recognised the need for education in the renewable energy sector.

Green Fund to finance waste beneficiation centre in Hammarsdale

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:24:37 +0000

A state of the art waste beneficiation centre is being planned for Hammarsdale in the outer west region of Durban says Chris Whyte managing director of USE-IT. The centre is expected to generate 150 long term jobs in the waste beneficiation sector once it is fully established. Financing for the centre has been secured by USE-IT, a Durban based section 21 company, from the South African Green Fund.

Green Office Week: Lead the team, keep it clean

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:25:22 +0000

Green Office Week is an annual national campaign organised by Dictum Publishers, an events organising and publishing company that concentrates on publications that aim at empowering the workforce by giving them the education and information they need at the workplace. The event is aimed at encouraging individuals and workplaces to adopt behaviours that contribute to reducing their carbon footprint. It also creates awareness and a learning platform for businesses by challenging them to consider ways in which they can be more sustainable.

Comments invited on South Africa’s Environmental Impact Assessment Regime

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:40:22 +0000

The parliamentary portfolio committee on Water and Environmental Affairs is inviting comments from the public on the efficacy of South Africa’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regime. The comments are due by 12^th April 2013.

The portfolio committee is planning to host public hearings in April and May 2013 on the EIA regime and is inviting these written comments as part of the lead up to the hearings. The public hearings are intended to examine difficulties experienced with the EIA process in South Africa and will cover the following topics:

EThekwini Municipality launches the Durban Climate Change Strategy

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:39:57 +0000

Environmental Planning and Climate ProtectionDepartment, and Energy Office of eThekwini Municipality today launched a participatory process to develop a climate change strategy for Durban. The Durban Climate Change Strategy (DCCS) will provide the Municipality and Durban’s stakeholders with guidance on how to address climate change challenges in the City. Urban Earth, in association with FutureWorks!, has been commissioned to develop the strategy for the city.

Afripack - Managing waste in a packaging company

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:45:49 +0000

Since the appointment of a dedicated sustainability manager in 2011, South African packaging company Afripack have achieved a 13% increase in their recycling rates. Mark Liptrot, Sustainability Manager for Afripack, says “Through increased staff awareness and establishing a green team we have been able to increase our recycling rates by 13% overall and are targeting a 75%diversion from landfill at two major sites in 2013.”

Sustainable Living and Indigenous Plant fair 2013

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:54:45 +0000

All sustainable and environmental roads are anticipated to lead to the annual local Sustainable Living Indigenous Plant fair, also known as the SLIP fair in Pietermaritzburg this April. The one year old event will be hosted by a team of professionals in the sustainable sector and is aimed at promoting sustainability in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

The SLIP fair is an extension of the Midlands Indigenous Plant Fair which started in 2004.

ICLEI Africa launches urban low carbon emission development project

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:07:13 +0000

A project to promote low carbon emission development strategies in South African cities was recently launched by ICLEI Africa. The project, Promoting Urban Low Emission Development Strategies in emerging economy countries (Urban-LEDS), aims to assist seven municipalities in South Africa to meet their development objectives in a sustainable way by integrating low carbon emission priorities into their existing development plans. The project focuses on small to medium sized municipalities that are growing fast and that will potentially have a high emissions profile.

WastePlan: Reducing waste management costs

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 07:55:32 +0000

“By doing waste management properly, it will save you money”, says Bertie Lourens, Managing Director of WastePlan, a national waste management company with operations in Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria, who are specialists in managing commercial and industrial waste. WastePlan offers a holistic system where waste is firstly, managed onsite to reduce the amount of waste entering the waste stream and ending up in the landfill and secondly, where useful waste is then removed from the site and sold to buyers.

NERSA allows yearly 8% electricity price increase for 2013-2018

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:32:36 +0000

The price of electricity in South Africa will continue to increase year-on-year from 2013-2018. The National Electricity Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) announced that the price will increase 8% each year for the next five years. The increase is half the increase of 16% originally requested by the national electricity utility Eskom during the third multiyear price determination (MYPD3) period, 2013-2018.

Biogreen diesel: Converting waste cooking oil into biodiesel

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:53:53 +0000

“Approximately 28 million tonnes of waste oil is produced annually in South Africa and of that around two to three million tonnes is converted into biodiesel”, says Roy de Gouveia, Managing Director of Biogreen, a renewable energy company based in Cape Town. Biogreen Diesel, a subsidiary of Biogreen, is a South African company that converts waste cooking oil into biodiesel using an energy efficient technology.

The beginnings of Biogreen Diesel

South African government postpones carbon tax to 2015

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:45:27 +0000

The South Africa Government is planning to introduce a carbon tax effective from 1st January 2015 said Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan during his 27^th February 2013 budget speech. The form of the tax announced by Gordhan is largely in line with the details of the carbon tax that were previously release in a government guide at the time of the 2012 budget speech.

Department of Environmental Affairs launches Green Cars Initiative

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:45:38 +0000

The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, launched the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Zero Emission Electric Vehicle Programme, also referred to as DEA Green Cars, on 26 February 2013. The initial phase of the project involves a pilot study where four Nissan Leaf electric cars, fully powered by solar energy, will be tested and used by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) at their new Head Office over a three year period.

SANAS introduces accreditation process for carbon footprint validation and verification bodies

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:22:26 +0000

South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) has launched an accreditation programme for Greenhouse Gases (GHG) Validation and Verification Bodies. GHG Validation and Verification bodies assess GHG assertions, also known as carbon footprints, and provide a verification statement for these assertions.

Last week for Mail & Guardian 2013 Top 200 Young South Africans nominees

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:56:49 +0000

Mail & Guardian (M&G) is accepting nominations for their M&G Top 200 Young South Africans list. The call is for those young individuals who you believe will “play an important role in the future of South Africa”, according to the M&G website. Nominees can be made in various categories from science & technology and business & law to arts & culture and sport.

What is carbon?

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 07:04:16 +0000

Carbon emissions, carbon footprints and carbon credits have become terms that are consistently used in climate change rhetoric. In this context when we talk about carbon, what exactly are we referring to?

What is carbon?

Crushed Lemon: Upcycling industrial PVC

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:03:22 +0000

Crushed Lemon is a company that promotes environmental awareness through their employment of ‘upcycling’, a process of converting waste or unwanted material or products into materials or products that may be reused. The Durban-based company has used unwanted or old billboards, banners, truck tarps and commercial advertising banners to create a unique, robust and exciting range of accessories which can be sold to commercial and retail sectors of the country.

CDP Supply Chain report reveals that suppliers lag behind in carbon reporting

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:16:02 +0000

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) recently conducted its fifth annual information request for member companies aimed at documenting and highlighting the current state of emissions reductions between member companies and their suppliers. The CDP Supply Chain Report for 2012-13, Reducing Risk And Driving Business Value, reports on the emissions associated with CDP reporting companies and their global supply chains.

Green Fund invites proposals for research funding

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:35:22 +0000

The Green Fund is making R34 million rand available for research and policy development that advances the green economy. Interested parties, including universities, government-affiliated institutions, private companies, NGOs and other interested parties are invited to submit their proposals to the Green Fund.

eLabel helps South African consumers to make more informed decisions

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:45:44 +0000

“South African consumers are more informed than they have ever been, and are more sceptical about the messages that marketers are sending out. South African consumers have a desire to know more about the products that they buy and are especially interested in the impact of certain products on their health and the environment”, says Mark Fox, content coordinator for eLabel, an independent source of third party information on consumer products in South Africa.

Decentralising sanitation – the experience of DES

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:03:48 +0000

“The Decentralised Waste Water Treatment (DEWATS) system is necessitated by problems experienced in sanitation throughout the world, in particular the developing world where there is inadequate financial resources and skills to deal with the demand of conventional waste water treatment systems and where authorities battle financially to connect citizens to the formal sewer system”, says Sandile Mbatha Programme Director of NGO, Decentralised Environmental Solutions (DES).

Bonnie and Clyde: Resurrected and recycled clothing

tholakele@urbanearth.co.za (Tholakele Nene) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:21:26 +0000

Bonnie and Clyde is an upmarket vintage clothing boutique that promotes the method of upcycling and reuse by taking old, previously worn clothing from before the 1980’s and giving the items a modern twist before hanging them up for the consumer. “It is largely considered that the 1980s was the first time we saw mass production on the scale we know today”, says Jessica Rich, owner of Bonnie and Clyde. The idea behind the boutique “is to add value to existing products” rather than selling brand new pieces, says Rich.

What is biogas?

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:18:36 +0000

Biogas is a source of energy that can be combusted and used for applications such as cooking, heating water and space, lighting and electricity generation. “Biogas is created when any organic material decomposes in the absence of oxygen” explains Mark Tiepelt of Biogas SA. Approximately 60% of biogas is methane (CH₄). Methane is the combustible component of biogas. The remaining approximately 40% of biogas consists of carbon dioxide (CO₂), 0.5% of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) and trace amounts of other gases says Tiepelt.

Jobs fund to create 800 sustainable biodiversity jobs for graduates and matriculants

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 07:44:13 +0000

800 unemployed graduates and matriculants in South Africa will gain valuable work experience in the environmental sector due to the South African National Biodiversity Institute’s (SANBI) Groen Sebenza Initiative.

Majority of Urban Earth’s carbon emissions are from air travel

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:46:49 +0000

The majority of Urban Earth’s carbon emissions for the 2012 period were from emissions relating to air travel. Out of a total of 6469 kgs CO₂e that were emitted in the 2012 year, approximately 67% was from air travel.

This article provides a summary of Urban Earth’s Carbon Footprint for 2012 and highlights some of the mitigation strategies employed to reduce emissions.

Urban Earth 2012 carbon emissions by scope

Scope One: Direct Emissions

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:39:19 +0000

South Africa generates approximately 108 million tonnes of waste annually, and of this approximately 98 million tonnes is sent to landfill. Organisations, households and individuals can all play a part in reducing the amount of waste that ends up in our landfill sites and reduce the impact on our environment by applying the three “R’s” of waste minimisation, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This article explains the difference between the three strategies and provides examples of South African organisations that are applying these principles.

Implementing an energy performance contract: Learning from the City of Cape Town

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 08:46:08 +0000

“Implementing an energy performance contract is suitable for large organisations such as municipalities, who consume a lot of electricity and a good way of ensuring savings when investing in expensive energy efficiency interventions”, says Wouter Roggen from the City of Cape Town (CCT). The City’s Energy and Climate Change Unit of the Environmental Resource Management Department successfully implemented an energy performance contract (EPC), which was drawn up for energy efficient interventions in four public administration buildings, namely Durbanville, Fezeka, Plumstead and Ottery.

Chicken nests made from recycled plastic offcuts saves on costs

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:47:33 +0000

A South African company, M & S Plastics, have designed a chicken nest made by recycling plastic offcuts from their own factory and plastic product from other companies. “The nest is a lightweight, cheaper and a long lasting alternative to the usual metal nests that are used by chicken farmers in South Africa”, says Terry Sutherland, Marketing Manager from M & S Plastics.

Urban Earth releases South African waste snapshot

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:22:22 +0000

Urban Earth is pleased to announce the publication of its South African Waste Snapshot. The Waste Snapshot collates currently available statistics for waste generation and recycling in South Africa. Information for this Snapshot has been compiled using data available from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and various non-profit recycling organisations in South Africa.

Mister Walker: Furnishing an office space with reused materials

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 08:40:49 +0000

Organisations often spend large amounts of money on decorating office spaces. For organisations that are trying to promote sustainability, office décor can be an important way to signal commitment to green principles. One alternative to replacing office furniture with brand new sustainable variants is the repurposing of used materials. This not only reduces waste to landfill but can also add quirkiness to a space.

Satellite derived solar maps available for KwaZulu-Natal

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 07:47:08 +0000

Satellite-derived solar maps for KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are now available free of charge to the public in GIS format and can be used in the planning and implementation of solar energy projects. The maps were purchased by the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT), and Trade and Industry KZN (TIKZN) and launched at a workshop on 3^rd December 2012. The focus of the workshop was an overview and explanation of the maps provided by Riaan Meyer of GeoSun Africa.

Solar maps for KwaZulu-Natal

Guide on application procedures for embedded power generators in KZN released

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:12:55 +0000

The KwaZulu-Natal Sustainable Energy Forum (KSEF) has recently launched a guide on application procedures for embedded power generators in KwaZulu-Natal.

Durban classified as a city facing multiple environmental risks, according to a UK Report

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:18:57 +0000

Durban has been classified as a city facing ‘multiple environmental risks’. This is according to a report on environmental risks and opportunities facing cities in developing countries– Future Proofing Cities- Risks and opportunities for inclusive urban growth in developing countries.

Applications now open for funding for South African climate change adaptation projects

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:42:45 +0000

Proposals are currently open for South African parties to apply for funding from the Adaptation Fund: Climate Change Adaptation Fund. The Adaptation Fund, established by the parties to the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), provides finance for adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that reduce the effects of climate change on communities, countries and sectors. The finances are derived from a percentage of all carbon credits that are issued under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Department of Environmental Affairs releases environmental compliance and enforcement report

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:45:16 +0000

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has released their National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report (NECER) for the 2011/12 year. The report provides an overview of the environmental compliance and enforcement activities that were undertaken by environmental authorities during the 2011/12 period.

75% of South Africans state that keeping electricity prices down should be a priority according to a recent report

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:25:26 +0000

75% of South Africans want the Department of Energy to prioritise keeping the price of electricity down. This is according to a recent report compiled by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) and the Department of Energy: A survey of energy-related behaviour and perceptions in South Africa.

City of Cape Town to host 'Waste to Art Market'

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 10:18:42 +0000

For the eco-conscious consumer the festive season is often a difficult time to find gifts that are kinder to the environment. This year the City of Cape Town’s Solid Waste Management Department will be hosting a ‘Waste to Art Market’ where products that are created from waste materials will be on sale to the public. Products created from waste materials require a reduced amount of resources, including quantities of energy and water, and therefore and have less of an environmental impact. Reusing waste to create new products also helps to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

London 2012 declared the most sustainable Olympics to date

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:36:51 +0000

London 2012 has been declared the most sustainable Olympic Games of the modern era in a recently released post games report London 2012 – From vision to reality, compiled by the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012.

Energy efficiency and decentralised energy generation could negatively impact municipal revenue

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 06:41:27 +0000

The City of Cape Town could experience total electricity revenue losses of up to 4.5% in the next ten years if energy efficiency measures and distributed renewable energy interventions are implemented at expected rates according to recent research released by Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA). Distributed energy, also known as embedded energy, refers to on-site generation of energy by energy users. Energy efficiency and distributed energy can reduce the demand for electricity from municipalities and as a result impact on revenue.

Eskom and the top 100 JSE companies account for 64% of South Africa’s total carbon emissions.

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 07:13:30 +0000

Eskom and the top JSE 100 companies in South Africa account for 64% of the country’s total carbon emissions for 2012. This is according to the recently released Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) South Africa 100 Climate Change Report for 2012. The report collates carbon information gathered from the top JSE listed 100 companies in South Africa for the 2012 period.

The Wonderbag: A heat retention cooker that reduces household energy requirements

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 07:23:09 +0000

The Wonderbag, a simple heat retention cooker developed in South Africa, can help low income households to save up to 30% on fuel costs and improve their quality of life.

A heat retention cooker

Geyser blanket made from waste material

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 09:14:08 +0000

The Eco Smart geyser blanket made out of waste material is one of the latest inventions of the Eco Smart group. The idea of a geyser blanket made out of waste material came from one of Eco Smart’s clients in the hotel sector explains Lise Kuhle, owner of Eco Smart. Kuhle immediately took up the idea and discussed it with a range of service providers and clients who provided numerous suggestions and advice on raw materials and the manufacturing process.

eThekwini’s Imagine Durban launches food garden booklet for schools

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 06:39:00 +0000

Imagine Durban, the long term planning department of the eThekwini Municipality has launched a booklet which aims to assist schools with establishing food gardens. The booklet which is titled Success factors for starting and maintaining a school food garden was written after Imagine Durban embarked on a school gardens programme in Durban and learnt from the various schools in which school gardens were established.

South African waste management tyre fee to generate R700 million per year to promote tyre recycling

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:02:43 +0000

A waste tyre management fee on new tyres in South Africa is expected to generate approximately R700 million per year, 80% of which will be ploughed directly into developing a sustainable tyre recycling industry, according to the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA).

The fee is being implemented as part of the Integrated Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan and is a potential model for other waste streams to follow in South Africa.

Energy monitoring: The first step in electricity savings at Malvern Fruit and Veg City

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:40:03 +0000

“The first thing we do is monitor” says David Douglas of Energyrite explaining that they follow the tried and tested business motto ‘you can only manage what you measure’. Because of their confidence in the savings impact of energy monitoring, Energyrite guarantees that the costs of their energy monitoring installation will be paid back in electricity savings.

FindaLift: South Africa’s first ride share initiative

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:46:30 +0000

“FindaLift is the first online ride share initiative in South Africa that assists employees to link up with other employees of an organisation to share lifts to work daily”, says Daniel Claassen, founder and Managing Member of FindaLift. Ride share initiatives help employees of an organisation to save on transport costs while at the same time reducing the amount of carbon and other emissions generated by employees travelling to work. Ride sharing also reduces the parking space requirements of an organisation.

KZN Province launches green economy website

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 06:21:43 +0000

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism (KZNDEDT) has launched a website aimed at covering the main developments, opportunities and resources in the green economy sector in KwaZulu-Natal. “[the] website, is the major tool that will be used to disseminate information relating to the green economy to all our stakeholders. People will be able to access research reports, articles, presentations, events notices, funding notices [and] business linkages…”, says Liesel Beires, green economy specialist at DEDT’s Green Economic Unit.

Sharing sustainability learnings: The Durban Business Sustainability Forum

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 08:22:27 +0000

The Durban Business Sustainability Forum is a network for sustainability professionals in Durban and is open to all businesses that have an interest in reducing their impact on the environment.

Biogas seminar taking place in Johannesburg

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 07:39:16 +0000

A biogas seminar is taking place on 16^th November 2012 in Johannesburg. The main purpose of the seminar is to get as many role players together as possible and “kickstart the industry” says Ryan Dearlove seminar organiser.

Urban Earth to partner with SciStaff for recruitment in energy and environmental sector

mkaz5@produkcjafilmowa.pl (editor) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:51:31 +0000

Urban Earth is pleased to announce that we will be partnering with SciStaff, a specialist APSO registered recruitment company, to offer recruitment services in renewable energy and environmental sustainability fields.

Green gift ideas for corporates

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:24:58 +0000

The end of the year is a time when many organisations distribute corporate gifts. While gifts are an excellent way to thank important clients and service providers they also provide organisations with an opportunity to reinforce their organisation’s values with stakeholders.

New guide promotes energy efficient public lighting

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 09:47:33 +0000

Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA), has released a brochure that guides local government officials in selecting energy efficient public lighting technologies.

Durban’s waste transfer station to save transport costs and carbon emissions

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:20:12 +0000

A new state of the art waste transfer station in Electron Road, Durban is currently under construction. The waste transfer station will compact waste at the site and thereby reduce the amount of space needed to transport the waste to landfill saving on transport costs and carbon emissions. The transfer station will be in operation by September 2013 and will process an average of 1,200 tonnes of waste per day.

Green building interventions for low cost housing demonstrated by Cato Manor Green Street Project

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 07:23:21 +0000

Substantial savings in water and electricity savings could be made and the quality of life for low-income residents improved, if the RDP houses built since 1994 were retrofitted with green building interventions like those implemented for the Cato Manor Green Street Retrofit Project, says Nick Alcock, of Khanyisa Projects.

Use-It: making building blocks from rubble

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 06:49:31 +0000

Use-It, a Durban based section 21 company, has developed the technology to make compressed earth blocks from a combination of soil and waste material says Chris Whyte managing director of Use-It. “Durban currently has a housing backlog in the region of 450,000 houses …… if we re-direct all of the current builders rubble that is landfilled [in Durban] we could create 10,000 houses a year” observes Whyte.

Waste recovery

GHG Protocol to develop carbon guidelines for the finance sector

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:00:09 +0000

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol has announced that it will be developing a guideline document, in partnership with UNEP Finance Initiative, to specifically assist institutions in the financial sector to record their greenhouse gas emissions. The bulk of emissions from financial institutions and portfolio investors relate to their investments which is a scope three emission.

CDP Global Water Report 2012 released

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 06:56:35 +0000

More than half of the globe’s top companies have directly experienced negative impacts related to water issues, such as droughts, floods, and water scarcity in the last five years. This is according to the latest Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Global Water Report for 2012 that collated responses from 185 of the top 500 companies in the world.

Water as a risk to business

Eskom renewables incentive programme likely to be extended to residential sector

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 07:14:54 +0000

The existing Eskom incentive for small scale renewable energy installations that is currently available to business customers is very likely to be extended to residential customers said Andrew Etzinger of Eskom speaking at the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) convention in Cape Town.

South Africa’s first e-waste collection day

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 06:49:54 +0000

South Africa’s first nation-wide e-waste collection day will take place on the 1^st of November 2012. The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) together with local e-waste handlers and recyclers, the e-Waste Alliance (eWA), “re-“ and DESCO have organised a collection drive for e-waste in the country.

Collection points will be based at selected shopping centres in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Port Elizabeth as well as Jeffares & Green offices. Shopping centres and offices for drop off include:

The economic benefits of green buildings

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 08:28:44 +0000

“Green buildings …. immunise the owner against future utility price shocks and against the high cost of retrofitting in a few years time,” said Brian Wilkinson, CEO of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) at the 2012 GBCSA Convention in Cape Town . Future proofing was highlighted by Wilkinson as a critical economic benefit of green buildings during the Convention. Wilkinson’s presentation was based on a GBCSA report by Nicola Milne entitled ‘The Rands & Sense of Green Building’ that was published earlier in the year.

Greenpeace releases report on coal and water use in South Africa

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:15:52 +0000

A new report released by Greenpeace Africa has provided explanation on the link between the use of water and energy production by South Africa’s sole energy utility Eskom. The report, Water hungry coal argues that South Africa is on a dangerous path to increased water scarcity because of the government’s decision to continue obtaining its power from coal.

Eco label developed for the African context

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:01:01 +0000

The Eco-Choice Africa label is the first eco label that has been developed for the African context. The label, launched in 2011, has been created in order to provide guidance to environmentally conscious consumers when purchasing products. It has also been designed to help manufacturers of green products to communicate the environmental responsibility of their products to consumers.

What does it mean if a product carries the Eco-Choice Africa label?

Online carbon footprint tool available for the fruit and wine industry

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 06:56:16 +0000

A free carbon footprint tool for the fruit and wine industry in South Africa is available online. The tool was established in 2008 by Confronting Climate Change: A South African Fruit and Wine Initiative.

greenABLE- The first facility in Africa to recycle printer cartridges

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 06:50:40 +0000

greenABLE is the first facility in Africa that recycles printer cartridges. The non-profit organisation opened in June 2011 when greenOffice, a printer cartridge remanufacturing company, faced the challenge of not being able to remanufacture all of the cartridges that they received. 13% of their cartridges were being sent to landfill due to damage or redundancy. Carla Higgs, Sustainability Leader at greenOffice, says “As a company, we have a green philosophy and were committed to find an alternate solution to landfill.”

Volkswagen South Africa wins top green organisation award in the Eastern Cape

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:30:27 +0000

Volkswagen South Africa was awarded a platinum award at the Eastern Cape Top Green Organisation Awards run by the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) and Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA).

Competition generates innovative designs for trolleys to collect recyclables

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:21:43 +0000

The Plastics Institute of South Africa (PISA) has announced the winners of their student competition that focussed on innovative designs for trolleys to collect recyclables. The winning entries from each of the three participating institutions were:

The Corner Cafe - Striving for a zero waste restaurant

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:44:00 +0000

The Corner Café, a restaurant in Durban is aiming to be a zero waste restaurant says owner Judd Campbell. While Campbell was working in restaurants in the United Kingdom he witnessed the high levels of food waste in the sector. On his return to South Africa to open his own restaurant he decided to make waste reduction a priority. To achieve this ambitious target Campbell has mainly focused on minimising and preventing waste. Some of the most significant measures he has taken are outlined below:

UNEP releases sustainability report on 2010 World Cup to guide future mega events

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:25:55 +0000

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has recently released a report on the environmental performance of the FIFA 2010 World Cup held in South Africa. The purpose of the report is to provide guidance on sustainability for host cities of future mega sporting events.

eThekwini rates of payment to embedded electricity generators

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:16:49 +0000

eThekwini Municipality’s electricity department recently released details of the tariff structure used to pay for electricity generated onto the Durban grid. Generators can expect payment based on the following: Amount of Energy generated – kWh, Amount of kvA generated and the voltage level of generation.

kWhs Generated Payment

Payments for kWhs generated vary depending on the season in which the energy is generated and the time of day. The table below outlines the price paid per kWh excluding VAT:

70% of plastic recycled in SA is from post-consumer sources

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 07:00:50 +0000

The amount of plastic recycled in South Africa increased from 241 853 tonnes in 2010 to 245 696 tonnes in 2011, according to Plastics SA’s third annual survey. The overall plastics recycling rate now stands at 18.9%. Anton Hanekom, Executive Director of Plastics SA explains that the market for recycled plastic is growing due to an increase in public acceptance of the durability and versatility of the product. Virgin consumption in South Africa on the other hand has decreased by 1% from 1 312 700 tonnes in 2010 to 1 300 000 tonnes in 2011.

Updated green marketing guidelines released

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:21:14 +0000

An updated “Guide for the use of environmental marketing claims” has recently been released by the USA based Federal Trade Commission. While the guide has no legal force in the South African context, it is an excellent resource for businesses that want to ensure their green marketing claims are responsible and accurate.

Key concepts: Energy management in office buildings

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:56:56 +0000

Office buildings are large consumers of electricity. Because of this, more and more organisations are initiating energy management programmes in offices, where there is also an opportunity to create a level of awareness about responsible energy use amongst staff. This article outlines some keys concepts that are worth understanding when attempting to implement energy management in office buildings.

SA Cleantech Competition 2012

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 08:36:33 +0000

Last year the Department of Trade and Industry, through the National Cleaner Production Centre launched the SA Cleantech Competition which was aimed at rewarding innovative clean energy ideas put forward by SMEs. The competition is now opened for a second year, albeit under a different name, the Cleantech SME Accelerator Programme.

Closing date for submission 29 October 2012.

Two Tracks & Five Categories

The format is similar to last year and prizes are awarded in two separate categories or tracks:

No accurate figures available on waste generated in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:21:42 +0000

The amount of waste that goes to landfill in South Africa is currently unknown, says Albi Modise, Chief Director Communications, for the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). This is because landfill sites are not yet required to provide waste figures to the DEA. However, this is set to change from the 1 January 2013, says Modise, when it will become compulsory for landfill sites to disclose this information to the DEA due to the implementation of the National Waste Information Regulations.

Cape Town introduces net metering tariff for domestic and small commercial users

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 10:56:32 +0000

The City of Cape Town has introduced net meter tariffs for both domestic and small commercial users. Net meter tariffs are designed to allow users with their own energy generation facilities to both draw energy from the grid and to generate onto the grid.

Head of sustainability for London 2012 to run three workshops in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:56:21 +0000

The Head of Sustainability for the 2012 London Olympic Games, Dan Epstein will be in South Africa to run three workshops on creating sustainable buildings, neighbourhoods and cities in the 21st century.

Scrap metal recycling in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:16:06 +0000

The scrap metal industry in South Africa is worth between R15 and R20 billion a year says Executive Committee member of the Metals Recycling Association of South Africa (MRA), Bernard Maguire. The MRA was established in 1942 and has a diverse membership.

According to Maguire the industry employs around 15 000 people in the formal sector and approximately 440 000 people in the informal sector. In total between 2.5 – 3 million tonnes of scrap metal is recycled every year says Maguire.

Paper recycling in South Africa

mkaz5@produkcjafilmowa.pl (editor) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:57:32 +0000

59% of recoverable paper and cardboard was recycled in South Africa in 2011.

Sources of food waste in South Africa

mkaz5@produkcjafilmowa.pl (editor) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:50:18 +0000

This graph shows an approximate breakdown of sources of food waste in South Africa. 4% of food waste in South Africa is generated by consumers.

PET recycling in South Africa

mkaz5@produkcjafilmowa.pl (editor) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:47:44 +0000

Beverage PET recycling in South Africa has increased from 16% in 2005 to 42% in 2011.

Glass Recycling in South Africa

mkaz5@produkcjafilmowa.pl (editor) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:35:07 +0000

The recycling rate of glass packaging in South Africa has improved from 18% in 2005/6 to 40% in 2010/11.

Recycling of PET in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 07:14:04 +0000

Beverage PET recycling has increased from 16% in 2005 to 42% in 2011. Cheri Scholtz CEO of the PET recycling company (PETCO) attributes this to a voluntary levy collected by PETCO from PET converters, bottlers and importers of PET.

Pilot energy and water benchmarking tool for office buildings in South Africa

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 07:37:22 +0000

A pilot energy and water benchmarking tool for offices in South Africa has been released by The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA). The pilot tool allows owners and managers of office buildings to benchmark the performance of their buildings in relation to other offices in South Africa. Through an understanding of how well a building is performing relative to the norm it is possible for owners and managers to get a picture of the level of opportunity that exists for energy and water saving in their own buildings.

Data requirements of tool

Two South African companies included in global list of top carbon disclosure companies

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 08:21:22 +0000

Two South African companies, Anglo Platinum and Anglo American, have been included in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) in the recently released Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Global 500 Climate Change Report 2012. To be included in the CDLI companies have to complete an online survey administered by the CDP on their carbon emissions and emission reduction strategies and allow for the results to be made public.

Cyclocor's 30% recycled roof tiles

markcarras@gmail.com (Mark Carras) — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:36:49 +0000

Cyclocor, a KwaZulu-Natal based start-up, is contributing to a revolution in the marketplace. The brainchild of business partners Greg Schultz and Brett Deeley-Barnard, Cyclocor uses 30% locally sourced post-consumer plastic to locally manufacture roofing tiles and manhole covers. This is a company that demonstrates industrial ecology in action. Industrial ecology refers to a concept of structuring the marketplace after an ecosystem to minimize waste, be more efficient and ultimately more profitable. By purchasing these post-consumer plastics from outside organizatio

South African e-Waste recycling rates unknown

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:10:16 +0000

“Current waste management legislation in South Africa does not require landfill site owners and recyclers to keep accurate records regarding e-waste volumes and therefore accurate figures on e-waste volumes and recycling of e-waste in South Africa are currently unknown” says Keith Anderson chairman of the e-Waste Association of South Africa (eWASA). Anderson believes that e-waste recycling rates in South Africa are improving but are not at an international standard yet due to poor education and the high cost of e-waste recycling plants.

Can recycling in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 06:25:27 +0000

Southern African beverage can recovery rates are amongst the highest in the world says Gregory Masoka, Operations Manager from Collect-a-Can. In 2011 72% of all beverage cans consumed in the Southern Africa region were recovered. Can recycling figures are regional since Collect-a-Can recovers beverage cans across five countries: South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and Mozambique.

Waste pickers in South Africa

markcarras@gmail.com (Mark Carras) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 10:15:10 +0000

In South Africa it is estimated that 85,000 people make a living as waste pickers. Internationally research reveals that around 15 million people in developing countries work as waste pickers. Waste pickers are people who collect, sort, and sell reusable and recyclable materials (such as paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, metal) primarily in an informal capacity.

Unilever: Tackling the impact of product use

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 06:52:19 +0000

“Our biggest challenge is in the space of consumer usage” says Louise Duys Corporate Sustainability Manager of Unilever South Africa who was speaking at the eThekwini Sustainability Seminar on 16th August 2012. Consumer use of our products accounts for 68% of Unilever’s environmental impacts explains Duys. Tackling this area of impact is required for Unilever to achieve its Sustainable Living Plan goal to halve the environmental footprint of its products by 2020.

South Africa generates over 9 million tonnes of food waste annually

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 07:40:57 +0000

Approximately 9.04 million tonnes of food waste is generated every year in South Africa says Dr Suzan Oelofse a principal researcher with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Oelofse estimates that only 4% of food waste is generated by consumers with an average of 7kgs generated per capita per annum. An approximate breakdown of sources of food waste in South Africa are shown in the graph below.

Rolling out energy efficiency to municipalities in South Africa

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 07:32:27 +0000

Municipalities consume substantial amounts of energy both in their own offices and in the process of delivering services. As a result in 2009, in response to the power crisis, the Department of Energy (DoE) through funding from the Division of Revenue Act initiated the Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management Programme for Municipalities (EEDSM).

Urban Earth’s carbon footprint for the first half of 2012

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:21:31 +0000

Urban Earth has published its carbon footprint for the first half of 2012. Urban Earth publishes its carbon footprint report online (Urban Earth 2012 Half Year Carbon Footprint) in order to promote the sharing of carbon footprint information in the sector.

The vast majority of Urban Earth’s carbon emissions fall under the scope 3 category with business travel being the highest contributor due to several international flights.

GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines propose revisions to GHG reporting section

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:05:05 +0000

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has proposed revisions to the greenhouse gas reporting theme under its draft Sustainability Reporting Guidelines -G4. The revisions are open for public comment.

The changes are an attempt to align with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol’s set of standards released by the World Resource Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the ISO 14064 standard.

Glass recycling in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:41:32 +0000

The recycling rate of glass packaging in South Africa has improved from just 18% in 2005/6 to 40% in 2010/11 says Shabeer Jhetam, CEO for The Glass Recycling Company (TGRC). For the 2010/11 period 338,265 tonnes, of a total of 845,663 tonnes of glass packaging consumed in South Africa was recycled.

Paper recycling in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 11:49:05 +0000

59% of recoverable paper and cardboard was recycled in South Africa in 2011 and the Paper Recycling Association of South Africa (PRASA) is targeting a figure of 63% by 2017 says Ursula Henneberry, Operations Director at PRASA. Recoverable paper and cardboard excludes paper that is not recyclable such as tissue paper, wax paper and bank notes among others; and, cardboard exports in the agricultural sector. The graph below shows that recycling rates have remained steady over the last four years.

Cape Town energy efficiency competition for commercial buildings

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:18:59 +0000

The Cape Town Energy Efficiency Forum for Commercial Buildings has announced the launch of an annual Energy Efficiency Awards competition. “Many Cape Town commercial business and building owners and managers have shown real leadership in implementing energy efficiency in their buildings and operations” says Sarah Ward of the City of Cape Town. The purpose of the awards is to “applaud the initiative of these business leaders and provide further encouragement to business to reduce their energy consumption” explains Ward.

Durban Sustainable Living Exhibition 2012

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 06:51:32 +0000

Over 180 exhibitors will display their sustainable initiatives at the third annual eThekwini Municipality Sustainable Living Exhibition to be held from the 30^th August – 1 September 2012. The Exhibition is an initiative by the eThekwini Municipality’s Imagine Durban project and provides a platform for businesses, schools, government and non-governmental organisations involved in sustainable practices to showcase their organisations and projects.

260 000 solar water heaters installed since 2008

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 06:43:13 +0000

Over 260 000 solar water heaters have been installed by the Department of Energy together with Eskom since the launch of the national solar water heater (SWH) programme in 2008. A total of 30 768 low pressure SWH’s have been installed for free under the Department of Energy’s fiscus funded programme and over 230 000 high and low pressure SWH’s have been installed under the Eskom rebate programme. The Department of Energy is aiming to install 1 million SWH’s in residential and commercial buildings by 2015.

Environmental rating system for computers addresses full life cycle

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 12:56:35 +0000

The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is a web-based rating system that assists environmentally conscious institutions, companies and consumers to make an informed decision when purchasing electronic products such as desktop computers and laptops.

Environmental performance criteria

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality pilots embedded energy project

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 06:36:48 +0000

“With the price of electricity increasing in South Africa, municipalities can expect to see an increase in the number of private renewable energy grid connected installations and need to prepare for this”, says Tyrone Ferndale, Project Manager Renewable Energy, from Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. In response to this trend Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has piloted a small-scale energy project to determine the feasibility of grid connected private installations and to determine a system of rewarding customers for generating renewable energy and placing this on the grid.

An introduction to solar PV rooftop installations

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:13:38 +0000

In urban areas where property is at a premium, the harnessing of roof space is an attractive option for energy generation. Roofs that are reasonably flat, free of shade, and at a suitable angle provide ideal sites for solar PV energy generation. Solar PV rooftop installations are becoming one of the more feasible and reliable ways that solar energy can be exploited for small scale generation in cities.

Six projects supply energy into eThekwini Municipality’s grid

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:32:22 +0000

“Six energy projects, with an installed capacity of 9.185MW, are currently connected to the eThekwini Municipality’s grid with twenty more in the pipeline, undergoing feasibility studies” says Roy Wienand Deputy Head of eThekwini Municipality’s Electricity Department. The six projects that are connected to the eThekwini grid and are being remunerated for exported energy are summarised below:

Name

Overview of renewable energy resources in South Africa

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:36:17 +0000

South Africa’s energy landscape is dominated by electricity from coal. However, there are a number of renewable energy options available for South Africa:

Greenhouse gas emission factors for South Africa 2012

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:16:34 +0000

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factors are used to work out the amount of greenhouse gases emitted through energy using activities. In some countries, such as Australia and the United Kingdom (UK), government agencies publish country specific emission factors to assist with greenhouse gas reporting. Unfortunately since South Africa does not yet have its own publically available source of country specific emission factors the UK emission factors are often used instead. For some energy sources a factor calculated for the UK will be very similar to the result for South A

Poor labelling of cleaning products makes environmental impact difficult to evaluate

info@urbanearth.co.za (Jean McKenzie) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:44:31 +0000

While “green” is often used as a selling point for household cleaning materials, there are still many environmentally harmful ingredients in the products used to clean our homes and offices. As a result consumers need better information about cleaning agents to make informed choices and have the knowledge to use products in a safe way.

No labelling requirements for cleaning products

One Planet Olympics: London 2012

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:09:03 +0000

The concept of “One Planet Living” has been applied to the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games in order to ensure that the 2012 Olympics are the most sustainable to date. The agencies delivering the Games, including the International Olympic Committee, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), together with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Bioregional developed a framework when they bid for the Games to deliver a “One Planet Olympics”.

Increases in plastic recycling in South Africa

() — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:47:32 +0000

This graph shows that the percentage of plastic recycled in SA is slowly increasing. However the total amount of plastic that is not recycled is still escalating because of increases in the amount of plastic produced annually.

Less is more: the sustainability benefits of super concentrates

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Super concentrated cleaning products are becoming increasingly popular with both consumers and companies because of their sustainability benefits. Concentrates are chemical products that are packaged and sold in an undiluted form that perform the same functional as a diluted equivalent. Super concentrates comprise more active ingredients than regular concentrates and as a result less of the product is needed at the point of use to achieve the same effect.

Solar PV Workshop

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:53:22 +0000

The KwaZulu-Natal Sustainable Energy Forum (KSEF) and eThekwini Municipality’s Energy Office will host a solar photo voltaic (PV) workshop for large property owners on the 1 August 2012 in Durban. The Department of Energy and Eskom have recently announced opportunities for small scale renewable energy production and eThekwini Municipality aims to create a database of interested property owners so that they can provide information to project developers looking for roof space for solar PV projects.

eThekwini Municipality cycling survey

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:48:27 +0000

eThekwini Municipality has commissioned a survey on cycling in Durban to determine a baseline of opinion on cycling in the city and to evaluate infrastructure for cyclists that was set up for eThekwini's Cycle Connections COP 17 project.

eThekwini Municipality’s KwaZulu-Natal Sustainable Energy Forum

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:11:36 +0000

“The KwaZulu-Natal Sustainable Energy Forum (KSEF) is an eThekwini Municipality initiative that exists to promote sustainable energy in KwaZulu-Natal” says Abigail Knox, current KSEF manager. Established in 2010, the forum was set up in response to the need for better coordination and information sharing on sustainable energy in the province. Sustainable energy is a broad term that was used in order to incorporate both energy efficiency and renewable energy into the KSEF’s mandate.

Registering a carbon project with the CDM through a programme of activities

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:02:27 +0000

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) offers an alternative way to register a small carbon project and earn carbon credits by registering a project under a Programme of Activities (POA). A POA is a mechanism that allows for an unlimited number of similar small scale carbon projects to be registered under one project application. The POA approach has been designed for projects that would have been too small to participate in the CDM on their own and for large programmes implementing multiple small-scale projects at different sites.

Slow uptake of landfill gas to energy projects in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:39:21 +0000

South Africa currently has only five landfill gas (LFG) to energy projects registered with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). However, eight more are in the process of applying, says Lindiwe Chauke from the Department of Energy.

Plastics recycling in South Africa

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 06:44:08 +0000

South Africa currently recycles 18% of virgin plastics produced. This is the second highest plastics recycling rate in the world, only half a percentage behind Australia, the current global leader, says Annabe Pretorius the general manager of the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO). Western European countries often cite plastic recycling rates of around 90%, however in reality says Pretorius, these countries incinerate most plastic waste and only recycle about 11% of plastics for reprocessing into new plastics products.

How to register a carbon project to earn carbon credits in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:39:49 +0000

Companies that are interested in developing projects that reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can also benefit from registering their projects on a carbon market. By registering a carbon project on a carbon market companies can earn carbon credits that can be sold to other organisations that want to offset their emissions. The income earned from selling the credits can be invested back into the company. This article will provide an overview of how to register a carbon project in South Africa.

26 GWhs of green electricity for sale from city of Cape Town

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:00:01 +0000

The City of Cape Town has 26 GWh’s of Green Electricity Certificates (GECs) for sale says Brian Jones head of Green Energy at the city. The price of the GECs is 25c per kWh (excluding VAT). This fee is over and above the cost of purchasing the electricity itself.

London 2012’s carbon footprint

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:49:29 +0000

The 2012 London Summer Olympic Games are aiming to be the greenest Olympics to date. One of the areas that the organisers have focused on is developing a carbon footprint for the event that takes into account emissions for the entire project term.

A reference footprint

Australia introduces carbon tax

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:12:43 +0000

Australia’s new carbon tax came into effect on 1st July 2012. Australia has introduced a carbon tax with the aim of reducing carbon emissions by 5% by 2020 (baseline year 2000) and moving from a coal based to a low carbon economy. Nearly 300of Australia’s top Green House Gas emitters are likely to be impacted by the tax, including companies and city councils.

Aus$23 per tonne of carbon

Reducing supply chain emissions: Barrows Retail Marketing Specialists

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:06:58 +0000

According to the recent Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Report of 2012 up to 86% of an organisation’s total carbon emissions can be attributed to activities in their supply chain. Unfortunately achieving real reductions in supply chain emissions can be extremely challenging. However, there are added benefits to reducing supply chain emissions, in the form of improved efficiency and reduction of costs.

Green technology grant for the manufacturing industry

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 07:30:05 +0000

The Department of Trade Industry (DTI) has launched a green technology and resource efficiency grant under the Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme (MCEP) for companies in the manufacturing sector. R 5.7 billion has been allocated to the MCEP for the next three years. A portion of this has been specifically allocated to the Green Technology sector. The main objective of the MCEP is to improve the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry in South Africa.

Entries open for recycled plastic product competition

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 14:10:33 +0000

Entries are now open for the 2012 “Best recycled plastic product of the year competition”. The annual competition is hosted by the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation (SAPRO) and is now in its third year.

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and environmental impacts explained

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 09:22:20 +0000

The possibility of fracking for shale gas in the Karoo has come under intense scrutiny in South Africa. Many commentators are highlighting the potential dangers of fracking while others have noted the tremendous economic benefits fracking for shale gas can bring to South Africa.

DoE takes first step towards procuring small scale renewable energy generation

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 08:42:02 +0000

The South African Department of Energy (DoE) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to potential developers of small scale renewable energy generation projects on 20th June 2012. The RFI is the first step towards finalising the procurement process of 100MW of energy generated from projects with a generation capacity of between 1MW and 5MW. This initiative forms part of the Independent Power Producer (IPP) procurement programme that up until now has focussed on large scale renewable energy generation projects.

Additional gas to be included in corporate GHG reporting

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 06:54:30 +0000

The GHG Protocol has proposed the addition of a seventh greenhouse gas (GHG) for corporate and life cycle GHG reporting. The gas, nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃), has already been added to the UNFCCC’s list of compulsory gases to be reported on in national GHG inventories. The GHG Protocol aims to follow inventory requirements as set by the UNFCCC to ensure that there is consistency in GHG reporting between corporate and national entities and therefore has proposed that NF₃ be added to its standards.

Compulsory GHG gases

Eskom announces unchanged electricity emission factor for 2012

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:11:36 +0000

Eskom announced an unchanged carbon emission factor for electricity yesterday when it released its 2012 annual integrated report. The 2012 emission factor is 0.99 kgs of CO2 emitted per kWh of electricity generated accordingly to Eskom latest calculations.

Eskom small-scale renewable energy rebate launched

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:01:05 +0000

Eskom has added a rebate for small-scale renewable energy projects in the commercial/industrial sector under its Integrated Demand Management (IDM) Programme effective from 1st June. The programme will start off with a three year pilot phase and will target a total of 10MWs from small-scale renewable energy projects including wind, hydro, solar, biomass waste, and tidal power.

Sustainable approach to air-conditioning

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:16:00 +0000

The two main environmental issues regarding air-conditioning is that they require refrigerants to operate which are harmful to the environment and that they consume large amounts of electricity which increases the carbon footprint of your home or organisation. This article explains what you should consider with regards to air-conditioning.

Learnings from recent solar PV installations in South Africa

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:17:00 +0000

Many businesses are investigating the option of the solar photovoltaic (PV) installations for their electricity generation needs. One of the challenges relating to Solar PV is the high cost of installations relative to the existing electricity price.

Pilot Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GPC) launched

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:08:00 +0000

The pilot version of the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GPC) was launched by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) on the 14 May 2012.

Calculating base load: The first step to a more energy efficient facility

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:41:00 +0000

Understanding the base load of a building or facility is an important first step in achieving energy efficiency.

Second round of renewable bidders announced for the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:31:00 +0000

The preferred bidders for the second round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP) were announced on the 21 May 2012. 19 bids were awarded to Solar PV, CSP, Wind and Hydro projects totalling an energy potential of 1043.9 MW.

Ocean energy generation potential in South Africa

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:35:00 +0000

Ocean energy generation has been spoken of for many decades, but unlike other renewable forms of energy generation, it’s never quite taken off. In spite of this, attempts to develop technologies that harness the immense power of the sea haven’t stopped. This article overviews these as well as key projects around the world that have been proposed or are in operation.

Carbon capture and storage in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:28:00 +0000

Carbon capture and storage is included in the National Climate Change Response White Paper as part of the South African government’s mitigation strategy to decrease its carbon emissions by 34% by 2020. This article describes the development of a Carbon Capture and Storage Roadmap for South Africa and provides more information on carbon capture and storage.

Roof top gardening in the inner-city: Durban’s Priority Zone Rooftop Garden

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:22:00 +0000

Most companies that are based in the central business districts of South African cities have little space to have indigenous or food gardens on their premises. However, thinking a bit more laterally (or vertically) reveals a multitude of unused space in inner-cities for this purpose.

Entries open for the ETA energy efficiency awards

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:27:00 +0000

Entries have opened for the 2012 ETA awards, an initiative sponsored by Eskom, which rewards excellence in the energy efficiency sector.

Pilot project to generate electricity from the ocean off the Durban coastline

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:48:00 +0000

An American company, Hydro Alternative Energy (HAE), has announced that it will be working with the eThekwini Municipality on a demonstration project to test the suitability of deriving energy from the ocean off the KwaZulu-Natal coastline.

The project involves extracting energy from the powerful Agulhas current which runs down the east coast of South Africa. This ocean current is one of the most powerful in the world and may be able to provide clean renewable energy to the eThekwini Municipality in the future.

Carbon Reporting: How to calculate a company’s emissions from employee commuting

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Employee commuting emissions are those generated from employees travelling from their homes to work and back each day. For many companies these emissions can form a large percentage of their emissions and should be recorded under their Scope Three emissions in their carbon reports.

Solar water heaters versus heat pumps

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:16:00 +0000

In most middle to high income South African homes as well as industry, water heating is done by geysers using electrical resistance to convert electric energy into heat. Heat pumps and solar water heaters (SWHs) offer energy efficient alternatives to the electric geyser and can save money in the long term.

Unilever leads the way in sustainable water management

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:17:00 +0000

South Africa is a water scarce country that is heavily dependent on water sources outside its borders. Climate change research predicts that the South African climate will become drier and hotter causing our water sources to be even more unpredictable. Most organisations are highly dependent on water for their everyday operations, and a lack of water will have a negative impact on productivity levels.

R-22 refrigerant phase-out and its repercussions

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:28:00 +0000

Most businesses, organisations and homes use refrigerants for air-conditioning, heat pumps and refrigerators. If your organisation employs the use of any of these technologies then you are likely using R-22. R-22, also called HCFC-22, is a banned substance in most of the developed world due to its ozone depleting potential (ODP).

Proposed levy on tyres to fund recycling

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:55:00 +0000

A waste tyre management fee of R2.30 + VAT per kg of tyre is being proposed by the draft Integrated Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan (IIWTMP) of the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA). The fee will be used to fund a large scale recycling programme. The plan was released for comment on the 17 April 2012.

Municipal landfill gas to electricity power sources in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:40:00 +0000

Landfill gas (LFG) to electricity has been identified as one of the renewable energy technologies that the South African government will focus on in order to generate more electricity from renewable resources.

Sources of electricity in South Africa

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:24:46 +0000

The total amount of electricity produced and purchased by Eskom from the 1st April 2010 to 31st March was 248,914 GWh. This graph shows the breakdown of the main energy sources of electricity for this period. Source Eskom Integrated Report 2011

Planned technology breakdown

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:24:13 +0000

Over the next few years the South African government is aiming to secure a total of 3,625 MW of renewable energy generation potential. The planned breakdown by technology is shown in the graph.

Likely carbon tax burden for top emitters

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:23:40 +0000

The South African Government has proposed a carbon tax of R120 per tonne of CO2 equivalent emissions in 2013/2014. This graph summarises the likely taxes to be paid by some of South Africa’s top emitters.

SA contribution to African emissions

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:22:45 +0000

This pie chart shows South Africa’s share of CO2 energy emissions on the African continent in comparison with the next five highest emitters and the rest of Africa for the 2009 year.

SA carbon emissions breakdown 2009

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:22:04 +0000

In 2009 the total GHG emissions for South Africa has been estimated at 511 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This unverified data was provided by the Air Quality Management Unit at the Department of Environmental Affairs. The graph displays the breakdown of carbon emission contributions per sector.

COP17 Carbon Footprint

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:21:24 +0000

The organisers of COP17 estimated the Carbon Footprint of COP17 at 76,900 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This pie chart demonstrates that the majority of the emissions are from international travel.

Top 5 CDP Response Rates

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:20:47 +0000

The South African Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has the second highest response rate out of the global groups that report to the CDP, after the
Europe 300 list and ahead of the Global 500 and FTSE All-World 800.

SA contribution to global emissions

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:19:27 +0000

This graph shows South Africa’s contribution (1.49%) to the world’s total carbon emissions for 2009.

Change in GHG emissions SA top emitters

realizator@produkcjafilmowa.pl (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:15:59 +0000

This graph shows the total scope one and scope two GHG emissions of the top SA emitters over the 2009 to 2011 period based on the SA Carbon Disclosure Reports of 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Energy monitoring in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:49:00 +0000

Many businesses and homeowners are not aware of the amount of energy that they use and are misinformed about what consumes the most energy. Better energy monitoring of consumption addresses this problem by helping to identify peaks in energy consumption, which devices are drawing the most energy and measuring the effectiveness of energy conservation actions.

Selecting scope three emissions for a carbon footprint report

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:56:00 +0000

Many organisations find reporting Scope Three emissions difficult and confusing. This article provides guidance on how to select Scope Three emissions for a carbon footprint report and is based on the corporate standard and the scope three supplement of the Green House Gas Protocol.

Printer cartridges and the environment

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 07:53:00 +0000

Printing is a common feature of most businesses. Every year millions of used printer cartridges end up on general landfills in South Africa.

Climate Change Leadership Awards Winners 2012

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:46:00 +0000

The winners of the third annual Climate Change Leadership Awards were announced on the 29 March 2012 at a carbon neutral event. The awards are the first in Africa to recognise and celebrate leadership in climate change response and mitigation.

How to conduct a successful energy saving campaign at work

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:12:00 +0000

Successful energy efficient interventions at the workplace often rely on the implementation of automated technology that does not require human effort to achieve savings. Often these technologies are expensive and a simple and effective staff energy campaign can be the most cost-effective intervention for saving electricity. The list presented in this post is a recommended approach to conducting a successful energy saving campaign and is adapted from US Department of Energy guideline on creating an energy awareness programme.

Eskom introduces rebate for small scale Renewable Energy

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:42:00 +0000

Eskom is introducing a rebate for small scale Renewable Energy projects, Cedric Worthmann of Eskom told members of the KwaZulu-Natal Sustainable Energy Forum at a meeting on 28th March 2012. “Two weeks ago we were given the go ahead to pilot 20 MW of micro wind, micro hydro and micro pv” said Worthmann, a business development manager at Eskom.

Drafting a carbon footprint for an office based business

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:34:00 +0000

This article provides an overview of how to develop a carbon footprint for a small office based organisation or business. A carbon footprint report documents the greenhouse gases that are emitted from a company’s operations in a set period. Emissions are generally recorded in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) which take into account the six most common greenhouse gases: CO₂, CH₄, N₂0, HFCs, PFCs and SF₆.

Calculating our carbon footprint

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:01:00 +0000

At the start of 2012 Urban Earth started calculating its carbon footprint. Urban Earth is now publishing its monthly carbon footprint on this website to promote sharing of information in the carbon footprint sector. Feel free to post comments and suggestions about our carbon footprint on this blog post.

SABS publishes standard for energy efficiency labelling

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:49:00 +0000

On 15^th March 2012 the South Africa Bureau of Standards (SABS) introduced a standard for the energy efficiency of appliances. The standard, SANS 941, applies to non-ducted air conditioners, heat pumps, audio and video equipment, dishwashers, electric lamps, electric ovens, refrigerators, freezers, tumble dryers, washer-dryer combinations and washing machines. It is currently a voluntary standard.

Green star SA rating tools for buildings

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:09:00 +0000

The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) has developed a suite of green building rating tools which provide a common standard of measurement for green buildings in South Africa. The rating system has not been designed to be legislated but is rather aimed at recognising leadership and innovation in the built environment.

Purchasing carbon credits in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:19:00 +0000

Purchasing carbon credits enables businesses to offset their emissions to achieve carbon neutrality. Although organisations should first look at mitigating their emissions, carbon credits can assist with making up the balance of their emissions that cannot be reduced in the short term. For organisations in South Africa the purchase of carbon credits is currently voluntary. There are many options when it comes to the purchase of carbon credits but is important that the credits purchased are from legitimate projects.

Eskom's solar water heater rebate progress

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:44:00 +0000

As of January 2012, 180 000 claims had been received for solar water heater’s (SWH’s) to be installed through the Eskom managed SWH rebate programme. According to Eskom a total of 38 000 high pressure systems and 84 000 low pressure systems were installed over the 2008-2011 period which has resulted in a 60GWh/annum of energy savings.

Wind atlas for South Africa launched

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:20:00 +0000

The first verified wind atlas for South Africa was recently launched on the 13 March 2012. The wind atlas helps potential wind farm developers and investors to identify potential sites for future wind turbines.

GHG Protocol scope three supplement

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:54:00 +0000

Scope three carbon emissions are generally the most difficult to report on as these are the indirect emissions of an entity and are the most difficult to track as information is generally required from third parties. In October 2011 the Green House Gas (GHG) protocol published a supplement to its corporate accounting standard on Scope Three emissions. This supplement provides considerable additional guidance that will assist many organisations to improve their scope three reporting.

Eskom’s capacity expansion programme

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:07:00 +0000

Since 2005, Eskom has embarked on a Capital Expansion Programme which will add 17 000 MW of new generation capacity by 2018 to the existing net generating capacity of 39, 794 MW. Thus far, 5500 MW of this new capacity have been installed & commissioned.

NERSA announces 16% electricity price increase for 2012/2013

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:47:00 +0000

On the 9 March 2012 the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) announced its approval of Eskom’s request to increase the average electricity price by 16% for the 2012/2013 period. This percentage increase in price is lower than expected as NERSA had previously approved a 25.9 % increase for the 2012/2013 period under the second multiyear price determination period (MYPD2).

Existing small hydro in South Africa

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:26:00 +0000

Small hydro power sources have been identified as one of the renewable energy technologies that the South African government is focusing on in order to generate more electricity from renewable resources and move away from its dependence on coal.

New platform connects businesses with waste to buyers

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:37:00 +0000

Many businesses produce waste material that is of no use to them, but could be of use to someone else. However, finding a business that will use a by-product can be very difficult. RecycleConnect addresses this problem through its online business to business platform where companies can create a listing of their waste materials. RecycleConnect then posts the listing on their website where companies that are in search of waste materials can make an offer, via RecycleConnect, to the seller of the waste.

The environmental impact of wind energy

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 07:57:00 +0000

Wind Energy has often been hailed as the answer to dirty energy and even the South African government allocated the largest chunk of renewable energy to this abundant resource in its Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity 2010-2030. However, environmentalists have been quick to alert everyone to some of the negative impacts wind has on biodiversity and the environment. This was demonstrated when bat enthusiasts were up in arms when COP17 host eThekwini Municipality (Durban) announced plans to install wind turbines near an ecosystem that supported a colony of Egyptian slit-faced bats (Nycteris thebaica). This post sheds a bit of light on the environmental impacts associated with energy generation from wind.

Proposed carbon tax likely to stimulate carbon industry in SA

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:40:00 +0000

The carbon tax proposal announced during the February 2012 Budget speech indicates that carbon taxes are likely in 2013/2014. The current proposals for the tax are likely to stimulate the carbon industry in SA in four ways.

Possible impact of proposed carbon taxes on SA electricity prices

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:25:00 +0000

During the 2012 Budget Speech in February Finance minister Pravin Gordhan indicated that carbon taxes are likely in the 2013/2014 tax year. The detail provided by SARS with the budget speech indicates that the purpose of the carbon tax is to “create incentives for changes in behaviour and encourage the uptake of cleaner-energy technologies, energy-efficiency measures, and research and development of low-carbon options”. One of the primary ways that the tax will incentivise change will be through increasing the price of electricity.

SA carbon tax likely in 2013

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:55:00 +0000

Finance minister Pravin Gordhan’s 2012 Budget Speech on 22^nd February provided detail on a likely South African carbon tax to come into effect in the 2013/2014 tax year. The minister indicated that there will be a further opportunity for comment on the tax proposals when National Treasury releases a further discussion document later this year. However, the detail provided by SARS with the budget speech provides an opportunity to understand some of the financial implications of the proposed tax.

South African 'Carbon Snapshot' released

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:20:00 +0000

Urban Earth has launched its South African Carbon Snapshot. The Carbon Snapshot collates recent South African greenhouse gas (GHG) emission information in an easy to understand way by using a series of graphs and minimal text.

KZN waste management competition announced

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 07:17:00 +0000

The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) is hosting an awards competition for organisations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) that are involved in effective waste management. The competition is open to those in the chemical industry, general manufacturing, and the service industry.

Which SA companies have decreased their emissions in 2011?

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:45:00 +0000

The regular publication of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) report for South Africa provides an opportunity to assess which companies in the SA JSE top 100 have decreased their emissions.

Existing hydro power in South Africa

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:50:00 +0000

Hydro power is a significant source of South African electricity mainly as a result of hydro-electricity imported from neighbouring countries. In South Africa itself Eskom has an installed hydro power capacity of 661 MW making hydro power the most significant form of renewable energy in the country. Since South Africa does not have very good conditions for hydro power the government is not planning to expand hydro-electric capacity in South Africa to any major extent. However, there is considerable additional hydro power potential in the broader region that is likely to be exploited in the near future.

E-waste disposal options for business

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:23:00 +0000

Recycling initiatives in offices around South Africa have gained momentum as companies have started to become more aware of their impact on the environment. Whilst most organisations know how to recycle paper, glass and plastic, correctly disposing of electronic waste (e-waste) is often not featured in company waste management plans.

Existing wind energy capacity in South Africa

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:58:00 +0000

Wind energy has not yet been exploited by any significant projects in South Africa. Currently there are only three major grid-tied installations in the country with a total installed capacity of just over 10 MW.

Existing solar PV generation capacity in South Africa

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:43:00 +0000

The total generation capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in South Africa is difficult to gauge as most are very small scale private use installations.

JSE 100 focus on energy efficiency strategies to curb emissions

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:38:00 +0000

The most common Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction activities amongst the top South African companies on the JSE are energy efficiency initiatives, according to the SA CDP 2011 report.

SA carbon neutral logo developed for companies

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:48:00 +0000

The Carbon Protocol of South Africa has developed a Carbon Neutral Logo for use by businesses/organisations in South Africa that are achieving carbon neutrality.

South Africa moving towards more renewable electricity generation

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:12:00 +0000

The recent announcement by the government of the 28 preferred bids from independent power producers to generate electricity from renewable sources is a major step forward for renewable energy. The bidders need to finalise the financing arrangements for their projects by June 2012 and start generating in 2014. In total the projects have a generation potential of 1,415.52 MW.

Common greenhouse gas emission factors 2011

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:48:00 +0000

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factors are used to work out the amount of greenhouse gases emitted through various energy using activities. Emission factors, also known as conversion factors, are generally expressed in kgs of carbon dioxide equivalent (kgs CO₂e). CO₂e is used since most forms of energy emit more than one GHG. To calculate the CO₂e the amount of the various GHGs are multiplied by their Global Warming Potential relative to carbon dioxide and then summed.

Eskom launches lighting design competition

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:01:00 +0000

Eskom has launched a lighting design competition that provides an opportunity to students as well as professionals to showcase their skills in designing contemporary lighting installations that use energy efficient technologies.

Selecting alternatives to halogen downlights

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:26:00 +0000

Halogen downlights are very energy inefficient. While there are several alternatives to downlights, unfortunately it is not always easy to select appropriate alternatives. In particular, it is important to ensure that alternatives with sufficient light output and the right colour of light are purchased.

Environmentally friendly paper options for the office

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:06:00 +0000

One of the simplest ways for businesses to become more sustainable is to look at the paper that they use in the office. According to the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa, PAMSA, paper products make up approximately 30% of total waste volume at landfills in South Africa.

SA electricity supply still under pressure

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:46:00 +0000

South Africa’s electricity supply is still under pressure. Brian Dames, the Eskom CEO, has indicated that a 3,000 MW savings is required to allow for a reliable power system in South Africa. At the most recent Eskom Power System briefing on 30th January 2012, Dames highlighted that the core problem faced by Eskom was the need to tackle the maintenance backlog at Eskom Power Stations.

SA’s sources of energy for electricity

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

During the 1^st April 2010 to 31^st March 2011 year the total amount of electricity produced and purchased by Eskom was 248,914 GWh (Eskom Integrated Report, 2011). The breakdown of the main energy sources of this electricity is shown in the graph below.

The problem with halogen downlights

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:40:00 +0000

While halogen downlight installations have considerable aesthetic appeal they are generally very energy inefficient when compared with other lighting solutions. This is because most downlight installations use more lights than other lighting solutions. In addition most installations use 50 Watt lights.

Trends in SA carbon reporting

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:57:00 +0000

Since the introduction of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) in South Africa in 2007, there has been an increase in the number of companies in South Africa reporting on their carbon emissions. The CDP is a global project that collates carbon emissions information from selected companies on a voluntary basis. In South Africa the companies listed on the JSE 100 are requested to take part in the CDP.

Greenhouse gas emission factor for electricity in SA

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:10:00 +0000

The South African greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factor for electricity in 2011 is 0.99 kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour. This emission factor is supplied by Eskom in its 2011 Integrated Report and is calculated by Eskom for energy generated over the period 1^st April 2010 to 31^st March 2011.

Go to 2012 Electricity emission factor to read an article updated for 2012.

Placing South Africa in the African carbon picture

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:14:00 +0000

A previous article mentioned that South Africa is Africa’s largest emitter of CO₂, but what do the figures actually say about this? The study conducted by the International Energy Information Administration (IEIA) provides a ranking of each country’s CO₂ energy emissions for 2009 and the results show that South Africa dominates the African share of carbon emissions with 450 million CO₂ tonnes.

SANS 50010 measurement and verification of energy savings

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:55:00 +0000

Many organisations that implement energy efficiency measures struggle to identify after the implementation what energy savings have been achieved. SANS 50010 which was published by SABS in September 2011 aims to address this problem by providing a standardised methodology for the measurement and verification of energy savings.

SA's total carbon emissions

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:40:00 +0000

South Africa is a significant emitter of greenhouse gases. The last official greenhouse gas inventory compiled for South Africa was in 2000 and calculated the country’s emissions at 440 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Fluorescent lighting explained

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:10:00 +0000

Lighting technologies are various, extensive and downright confusing for business and homeowners. This post explains just one of those lighting technologies, fluorescent lighting, and looks at the technology and the energy efficiency of this particular type of lighting technology. Fluorescent lights are often touted as the alternative to incandescent lights.

SA’s CO2 emissions per capita

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:39:00 +0000

We recently wrote an article on global carbon emissions and how much South Africa contributes to the global share of carbon emissions. Understanding the amount of CO₂ emissions released into the atmosphere by each country is only one way of looking at how a country fairs in comparison to other countries.

Electricity sources make electric cars carbon inefficient in SA

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

During COP17 last year a number of car manufacturers took the opportunity to promote electric vehicles as a method of reducing carbon emissions. Vehicles on display included the South African developed Joule, and even an electric motor bike and electric Porsche from Siemens. The electric vehicle that is likely to reach the South Africa market first is the Nissan Leaf which is expected in 2013.

Scope three greenhouse gas emissions in SA

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:40:00 +0000

Scope three emissions in terms of the Green House Gas Protocol are indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions except those from purchased electricity and steam.

Woolworths saving money through sustainability

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:30:00 +0000

Many businesses in South Africa are initiating sustainability measures to contribute to the long term environmental health of our planet. One of the typical business benefits of internal sustainability measures are savings in operational costs since reducing consumption reduces environmental impact. Woolworths has been an early adopter of business sustainability practices in South Africa and they estimate savings of over R80 million during the last four years from their sustainability efforts.

Lighting considerations before changing to energy efficient alternatives

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:58:00 +0000

Lights are a major user of energy in homes and offices. There are now many energy efficient alternatives on the market. However, many people express dissatisfaction when they change to energy efficient alternatives. A major part of this problem is that replacements are often made without considering the type of light that will be provided by the replacement.

Reducing emissions proves difficult for SA’s highest emitters

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:55:00 +0000

The 2011 Carbon Disclosure Project South Africa JSE 100 Report revealed a high response rate of 83%. This is the second highest disclosure percentage in the global Carbon Disclosure Project.

Placing South Africa in the global carbon picture

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:21:00 +0000

South Africa recently hosted COP17 which revealed much about the government’s ambition to become a major player in climate change negotiations in spite of the outcome which though lauded by the government left many activists and scientists with despair. The decision by South Africa to take on a more active role in ensuring that global CO2 emissions decrease is no surprise as studies have consistently shown that South Africa is among the largest carbon emitters in the world.

Scope two greenhouse gas emissions in SA

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:01:00 +0000

Scope Two emissions in terms of the Green House Gas Protocol are indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from purchased electricity and steam.

ISO 50001 energy management standard

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:49:00 +0000

Achieving energy efficiency in an organisation is often regarded as a technical problem that is the responsibility of technical staff. The Energy Management Standard ISO 50001 (also known as SANS 50001 in South Africa) published in 2011 moves away from the technical solution only approach and advocates a systems based approach to energy management.

Scope one greenhouse gas emissions in SA

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:42:00 +0000

The complexity of calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions lead to the emergence of the Green House Gas Protocol .

Eskom Residential Mass Roll Out - for homeowners and ESCo’s

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:03:00 +0000

If Eskom’s Aggregated Standard Product programme is for industry, then their Residential Mass Roll Out (RMRO) programme is for homes! Through this programme home owners can install certain energy efficient technologies which Eskom calls a ‘basket of efficient technologies’ for free.

New Event Greening Organisation for SA

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:51:00 +0000

COP17 was recently held at the ICC in Durban and efforts were made to ensure that the venue followed good environmental practice. Interventions like ensuring the venue had energy efficient lighting as well as discouraging bottle water were implemented to make the conference more sustainable. These actions may broadly be referred to as event greening, which is the focus of the new Event Greening Forum (EGF) . The forum brings together South Africa's 9 key meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) associations around the issue of event greening and is set to accelerate greening in the events industry in South Africa.

Eskom standard offer programme

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:02:00 +0000

Eskom offers energy efficiency (EE) rebates, as part of their integrated demand-side management (IDM) programme. IDM aims to reduce the electricity demanded by higher electricity users including industry and local authorities.

Top carbon emitters in South Africa

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:16:00 +0000

The release of the 2011 Carbon Disclosure Report provides an excellent opportunity to identify some of the top carbon emitters in South Africa. Because of South Africa’s carbon intensive electricity production process Eskom has the highest direct carbon emissions (also known as Scope 1 emission in terms of the Green House Gas Protocol).

Novel project to offset COP17 emissions

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:18:00 +0000

The local carbon footprint of COP17 (excluding international flights) has been estimated at 15 000 tonnes CO₂e. In order to host a carbon neutral event, eThekwini Municipality has demonstrated a novel method of carbon offsetting by providing an opportunity for delegates to voluntarily offset their emissions through the restoration of a local catchment.

The South African risk and vulnerability atlas

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:57:00 +0000

COP17 has again highlighted the many challenges that countries and cities face because of climate change. South African decision-makers have the difficult task of planning for a more climate resilient South Africa that also takes into account existing vulnerabilities.

2011 SA carbon disclosure report launched

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:32:00 +0000

The eagerly awaited Carbon Disclosure South Africa JSE 100 Report was launched on the 6^th of December 2011 at the Durban Country Club. The top companies that were acknowledged for their efforts in disclosure were Exxaro, Nedbank and Goldfields, and in the performance category were Goldfields and British American Tabacco.

COP17 – negotiating blocs explained

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:19:00 +0000

The Seventeenth Conference of the Parties (COP17) is now in the thick of things. The second week is where the nitty-gritty is discussed. Essentially, COP17 involves a series of negotiations, and one of the main points of negotiations in Durban will be the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol which ends at the end of next year. The article provides a very basic overview of the different perspectives from the different blocs and major nations.

Green gift ideas

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:41:00 +0000

At this time of year many organisations are thinking about gifts for their stakeholders. Gifts are an excellent way to show appreciation, but they also send signals to stakeholders about the values of the organisations giving the gifts.

COP17 carbon footprint

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:15:00 +0000

The organisers of COP17 have made a first pass estimate for the Carbon Footprint of COP17. The estimate of 76,900 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents assumes a maximum of 25,000 delegates attending the event. The pie chart below shows that the majority of the estimated footprint comes from international travel. The organisers will release a final estimate after the conference is over on 09 December 2011.

SA likely to introduce compulsory carbon reporting

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Large scale emitters of Green House Gases (GHG’s) are soon likely to be required to provide GHG information to national government using a web based reporting system that will be available in the next two years. The national government’s intention to introduce a compulsory reporting mechanism is explained in the National Climate Change Response White Paper that was released on the 18 October 2011.

Energy efficiency regulations for new buildings

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:13:00 +0000

From the 9^th of November 2011 it has become compulsory for all new buildings, and extensions to buildings, including homes, schools, shops, offices, places of worship and hotels, in South Africa to meet a set of standard energy efficiency regulations. These regulations, included as an amendment to the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, will require building companies, local authorities, property owners, suppliers and architects to comply with the regulations so that energy that is used by buildings is reduced.

Companies Act introduces social and ethics committees

mkaz4@produkcjafilmowa.pl (Mags Shapiro) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:24:00 +0000

Ethics and social issues continue to climb to the top of the corporate agenda, with The Companies Act No. 71 of 2008 (New Companies Act) which commenced on 1 May 2011 strongly reinforcing this position.

eThekwini Municipality launches carbon inventory

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:55:00 +0000

eThekwini Municipality launched its Carbon Inventory for the 2010 year at a public event on the 9^th of November 2011. The inventory revealed that over 27 million tCO₂e was produced by the eThekwini Municipality as a whole in 2010, and that 4% of these emissions comes from the municipality itself. The inventory details that the highest emitters in eThekwini are from the transport and industry sectors, and the highest source of emissions is from the generation of electricity.

Carbon taxes remain on the South African agenda

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:53:00 +0000

The recently published National Climate Change Response White Paper confirms the government’s commitment to develop a carbon tax policy and highlights some of the considerations that National Treasury is taking into account. Carbon taxes will initially be implemented at low rates and then increased so that taxpayers can get used to the carbon tax system and so that the potential negative impacts on industry competitiveness are taken into account.

South Africa to introduce carbon budgets

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:27:00 +0000

The Government has signalled its intention to introduce Carbon Budgets to South Africa with the publication of the National Climate Change Response White Paper. The paper was released to the public on the 18 October 2011 and outlines the government’s vision to achieve a lower carbon and climate resilient society.

Energy assessment assistance for small businesses

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Energy is a vital part of any business and accounts for one of the highest expenditures that a company faces. Conducting an energy audit is the first step to try and manage energy use as it identifies the sources of energy. However this can be a costly exercise for small businesses.

Loan financing for energy efficiency

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:13:00 +0000

Energy efficiency is often an excellent investment for business, with the upfront costs being paid back through savings in a relatively short time. However, many businesses are constrained by the inability to access capital for the initial costs.

Practical guidelines for event greening

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:44:00 +0000

Events, such as meetings and launches, are common activities for many businesses and organisations. They are also good opportunities to signal your organisation’s commitment to sustainability by taking proactive steps to green your event.

Informal recyclers and your business

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:40:00 +0000

Businesses are often producers of large amounts of waste. More and more businesses are starting to become environmentally conscious and are investigating ways of disposing their waste in an environmentally friendly manner with recycling being one of the popular options.

National industrial energy efficiency programme

jonathan.ramayia@gmail.com (Jonathan Ramayia) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:49:00 +0000

For whatever reason your business is considering becoming energy efficient, be it to lower monthly costs or to become more environmentally responsible, you can be assured that investment in energy efficiency is steadily becoming common place in South African industry. A landmark project that has helped shift the industrial energy landscape from one of panic to one of pragmatism through an institutionalised approach to energy management, is the National Industrial Energy Efficiency Programme (NIEEP).

Draft regulations for energy efficiency tax rebate

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:55:00 +0000

South African businesses could soon be rewarded for their energy efficiency initiatives through tax incentives. A recent proposed addition to the National Energy Act of 2008, Regulations on the Allowance for Energy Efficiency Savings, documents that businesses engaged in energy efficient initiatives, can apply to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for a tax break. These regulations were released for public comment on the 16 September 2011 and the public has until the 15 November 2011 to make any comments.

Institutional food gardening

amanda@urbanearth.co.za (Amanda Botes) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Recently a number of institutions have taken steps to establish food gardens on their properties. A recently high profile example was the establishment of a food garden at the Durban City Hall. eThekwini Municipality took the step of establishing this food garden to profile its concerns about local food security and to inspire individuals and other institutions to follow suit.

Managing your electricity use

margaret@urbanearth.co.za (Margaret McKenzie) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 14:12:00 +0000

With the increase in electricity prices in South Africa, many businesses and home owners are starting to talk about ways of reducing their electricity consumption. The big problem is that most people stop at talk. One of the main reasons for this is confusion about what is the best way for people to reduce their own electricity use.