Nature-based solutions (NBS) are activities that harness nature’s power to address climate change’s impacts on human well-being. NBS include natural climate solutions, ecosystem-based adaptation, and eco-disaster risk reduction (Preethan and Gupta, 2020). NBS involve conserving, restoring, or sustaining natural ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, and rivers to provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. NBS are...
Autonomous vehicles are also referred to as self-driving cars. Although automated vehicles are a hot topic in the global automotive industry, there are currently no self-driving cars on the roads of South Africa. The South African government plans to introduce them in the future; however, legal and safety issues need to be addressed first. While...
In South Africa, there is a growing number of electric vehicles (EVs) available, however, they remain limited. The lack of local supply of EVs in South Africa is particularly in the entry- and midlevel market segments, with most available models competing in the high-end to niche segments. Few battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were available on...
Minister of Electricity and Energy: Kgosientsho Ramokgopa When Minister Ramakgopa assumed office as the Minister of Electricity, South Africa struggled with the electricity crisis. Since his term in office as the Minister of Electricity, South Africa has started living without load shedding. Minister Ramokgopa has been given the 2024 Climate Leader Award because Minister Ramokgopa’s...
Solar technology is one of the technologies that is widely used to mitigate climate change. It impacts South Africa by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Very few companies in South Africa can produce the solar technology system. However, ARTsolar is one of the major companies that produces solar system technologies in South Africa. The price...
Even though South Africa has great potential for renewable energy, the adoption of renewable energy is very low. According to researchers, about 10% of households have adopted renewable energy for their day-to-day use. 90% of the South African population has yet to accept and adopt renewable energy. This is because renewable energy is still beyond...
In 2010, South Africa had about 3.93 Mha of natural forest, covering over 4.3% of its land area. In 2023, it lost 12.3 ha of natural forest, equivalent to 26.2 Mt of CO₂ emissions. From 2000 to 2020, South Africa experienced a net change of -142 kha (-1.9%) in tree cover. Stable forest 5.80 Mha Gain 388 kha Loss 530 kha Disturbed 1.28 Mha 2010 South Africa’s natural forests covered...
The NDC Partnership is a network of over 120 countries, facilitated by UNFCCC, that is dedicated to helping each other strengthen their Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Pledges. The Partnership has just released Version 3.0 of the NDC Navigator, an interactive tool that supports the development of updated country NDCs to be submitted in...
South Africa is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Its emitting effect accounts for about 40% of the continent’s total emissions. South Africa is the most carbon-intensive developing country in the world, generating about 0.6kg of carbon dioxide per dollar of GDP. South Africa’s response to climate is to promote programs that lead...
Sub-Saharan Africa has been experiencing more frequent and more intense climate extremes over the past decades. Over Southern Africa, temperatures are expected to rise faster at 2° C, and areas of the southwestern region, especially in South Africa and parts of Namibia and Botswana, are expected to experience the greatest temperature increases. South Africa has...
