Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 2 October 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Deputy minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, has encouraged business leaders to take concrete measures to lower pollution and carbon dioxide output, as well as reduce waste. Africa, which hosts most of the world’s poor, is on track to meet just six-percent of the Sustainable Development Goals. Swarts addressed the annual Environmental, Social, and Governance Africa conference. She called on business leaders to integrate environmental, social, and governance principles into their strategies to accelerate progress towards a resilient and equitable future.

# The Department of Water and Sanitation will launch the Vaal River Anti-Pollution Forum this week to tackle ongoing pollution issues. The forum will coordinate efforts to improve the river’s water quality. Deputy minister Sello Seitlholo emphasised that polluters will be held accountable, with a National Polluters Register tracking offenders. The initiative aims to protect this vital water resource for future generations.

# And finally: Research has found that private equity firms are using US public sector workers’ retirement savings to fund fossil fuel projects. Researchers at Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, Global Energy Monitor, and Private Equity Stakeholder Project, found that 21 firms were funding projects responsible for releasing more than 1.17-billion tons of carbon dioxide a year. The highest emitter was American investment firm EIG, which has 23 fossil fuel companies in its portfolio, giving it estimated upstream emissions of more than 255-million-metric tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Stay tuned for more news………….