Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 30 May 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s approval of a curtailment framework is expected to unlock three-thousand-470 megawatts of much-needed grid capacity for wind energy projects in the Western and Eastern Cape. By allowing a controlled curtailment of up to ten-percent, the decision aims to ease congestion, support new renewable investments, and address past grid limitations that hindered project approvals. The framework, effective until March 2028, includes biannual reporting and compensation measures to protect consumers and ensure accountability.

# The Green Connection is warning that the draft regulations in the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act could erode democratic participation, sideline affected communities and accelerate environmental harm. The Act is currently under review by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. Green Connection says that at the heart of its concern is the disconnect between what the government says about its climate commitments, while simultaneously proposing regulations that appear to promote a fossil fuel-centred trajectory. It adds that the country should urgently shift toward a renewable and sustainable energy pathway.

# And finally: The Nepal government has vowed to protect Mount Everest amid the risks presented by climate change and the growing number of climbers. Last year, eleven tonnes of rubbish and four bodies were cleared from the mountain during a clean-up drive. Nepal does not have rules on how many days climbers must spend acclimatising or making practice climbs. The permits to climb Everest are valid for 90 days. Tourism minister, Badri Prasad Pandey, says there is an urgent need to balance adventure tourism with environmental preservation and safety. 

Stay tuned for more news………….