Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 17 April 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dion George, says his department is committed to fostering sustainable development while supporting the growth of renewable energy infrastructure. The department has processed 220 environmental-impact assessment applications for independent power producers from June 2024 to March this year. George says these results demonstrate significant improvements in streamlining regulatory processes, particularly for renewable energy projects, which are critical to South Africa’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

# United Nations deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has urged stronger partnerships and increased climate investment to accelerate progress on global development and climate goals. Speaking at the P4G Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, she cited the need for 45.6-trillion-rand annually by 2030 for emerging economies, to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius target within reach and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. Mohammed says government leaders need to accelerate the implementation of cost-effective climate solutions and drive change through smart policies and reforms at all levels.

# And finally: A new study has revealed that Africa’s rapid urban growth is threatening bird diversity. Researchers used citizen science data from Kenyan and Nigerian bird-mapping projects to uncover insights into how urbanisation affects birds, their diversity and ecological functions in these nations. Speaking on the Mongabay Podcast, researcher Ashoka Mukpo says in Africa, urban land cover is expected to triple by 2030, and the potential impact on birds and biodiversity is particularly alarming:

Stay tuned for more news………….