Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 7 August 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The Presidential Climate Commission met with Environment minister Dion George to discuss South Africa’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution. The update, recently approved by cabinet, is now open for public input ahead of its United Nations submission in October. Covering 2031 to 2035, the contribution aims to reflect stronger climate action. The commission urges all stakeholders to participate in consultations, ensuring inclusive input on the country’s transition to a climate-resilient, low-carbon economy.

# Parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef have suffered the largest annual decline in coral cover since records began nearly 40 years ago. According to a new report by the country’s Institute of Marine Science, the northern and southern branches of the sprawling reef both suffered their most widespread coral bleaching. Bleaching happens when coral gets stressed and turns white because the water it lives in is too hot. Coral is vital to the planet. Nicknamed the sea’s architect, it builds vast structures that house an estimated 25-percent of all marine species.

# And finally: The European Commission says it wants the Global Plastics Treaty to cover the entire lifecycle of plastic, from production to disposal. Delegates from over 100 countries are in Geneva, Switzerland, this week negotiating on a legally binding treaty to curb plastic pollution. Global plastic production has reached 400-million tons per year, but only nine-percent is recycled. The European Union says the treaty should also include measures to phase out harmful plastic products that threaten human health and the environment.

Stay tuned for more news………….