Renewable energy transition: Embrace public and private ownership
They have to be shared through a private/public partnership that ensures that inequalities in our society are not deepened.
New scenarios needed to address climate crisis
Scientists call for a rethink of climate change scenarios that puts justice, diverse knowledge, and systemic change at the heart of modelling.
AIrSynQ’s AI-Powered air quality product development gets funding boost
R11.7 million funding support from the Technology Innovation Agency will enable further development and implementation of the AI4Mines/AIrSynQ solution.
Inequality can be reversed, says global expert panel
Man-made inequality is an emergency that has spiralled out of control and a grave threat to human life, however, experts say it can be reversed.
Establishing an International Panel on Inequality
President Cyril Ramaphosa and global experts on inequality met at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University on Friday to begin establishing the panel.
No nature, no future
For humans to thrive, nature must thrive. For much too long, we have disregarded this fact. Now, it’s time to set that right.
Facing the Heat in South Africa
The exhibition and book brings together a decade of documentary photography, research and activism, to illuminate SA’s deepening climate crisis.
Put a plug in it
Solutions that consider social realities and smart collaboration provide the City of Johannesburg with its best chance to resolve the ongoing water crisis.
Peco Power wins prestigious Empower a Billion Lives competition
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ spin-out company has been named the Energy Supply Track Winner in this competition from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Sub-Saharan Africa has lost nearly a quarter of its biodiversity
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ researchers contribute to groundbreaking study showing the region has already lost 24% of it biodiversity since pre-industrial times.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and Sappi renew climate change Chair
Mary Scholes leads Chair that focuses on forestry research to boost forest resilience to the impacts of climate change.
TotalEnergies: French court ruling boosts African cases against polluters
Some African countries have consumer protection laws that they could use to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for pretending to be green.
Global inequality is as urgent as climate change
There is a great institutional need for strong inequality analysis. That’s why the world needs to establish an International Panel on Inequality.
Experts call for an International Panel on Inequality
Experts from 70 countries studying inequality, including Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Professor Imraan Valodia and Nobel Laureate Professor Joseph Stiglitz, call for global support.
Climate tipping points are close
Dangerous climate tipping points will threaten food, water and coastlines. They’re irreversible and only radically accelerated climate action can stop them now.
New Chair confronts Gender-Based Violence and Femicide
The Chair is a critical intervention in sustained and focused inquiry that generates the necessary evidence for transformative policy and solutions.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ receives US$1.8 million from Bezos Earth Fund
The award supports innovative use of artificial intelligence to protect biodiversity and advance climate solutions worldwide.
AIrSynQ – a breath of fresh air at the beach
Guests at Blaauwberg Beach Hotel in Cape Town experience how Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ research powers a new AI air quality system.
You want to save the planet? Change the way you think
Lifestyle changes will be of more benefit in the fight against climate change than industrialised solutions such as electric vehicles.
Planting a seed for the future
A chemical engineer intends to revolutionise the nature of agriculture.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ takes water to informal settlements
Johannesburg Water partners with Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to provide sustainable groundwater supply for informal settlements.
The African Data Drive
New interactive tool to bridge Africa's critical data gap for sustainable development.
‘New reality’ as world reaches first climate tipping point
Widespread mortality of warm-water coral reefs underway, as world reaches first tipping point.
Agitating for understanding
Arts and science interrogate water, energy, and food precarity at conference-exhibition.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ joins Ten Million Trees campaign
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ community has responded to the national call to plant trees in order to mitigate against climate change.
AGITATION, the WEF Nexus and Climate Change in South Africa
Conference and exhibition at Origins Centre will interrogate how water, energy, and food insecurities intersect.
Inequality in Africa: what drives it, how to end it
Elites have often shaped or manipulated state policies in ways that protect their interests and reinforce inequality.
Professor Imraan Valodia joins Extraordinary Global Committee on Wealth Inequality
South Africa’s historic G20 Presidency has taken a bold step in addressing one of the world’s most pressing challenges: global inequality.
Nuclear energy will propel economic growth
Young people have been encouraged to embrace nuclear energy and to prepare for the multi-disciplinary opportunities ahead.
Understanding SA's climate obligations in relation to changing policy in the USA
The country’s moral compass and economic needs were in the spotlight at an annual symposium focusing on the climate crisis.
Towering kindness during Mandela Challenge
Kindness didn’t just show up, it stood tall as Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies marked Mandela Month with contributions of canned food towards the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Food Bank.
Africa’s moment to lead the hydrogen revolution lies beneath our feet
Geologic hydrogen can help Africa leapfrog into an energy-secure future.
From classroom to community: Youth-led healthcare delivery
Vertical gardens by OT students provide meaningful activities for disabled people while addressing water scarcity and other rural gardening challenges.
Hope and Community in a Garden
The launch of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Food Sovereignty Hub strengthens the drive to reclaim food production and increase community gardens.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ named recipient of prestigious grant for AI climate research
The Bezos Earth Fund’s AI Grand Challenge for Climate and Nature has awarded the grant to the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Climate Risk Modelling project.
Coal to green energy: Rural solar can transform mining gains
A truly just transition would ensure that communities are not left behind when shifting from coal power to green energy.
Achieving a just transition to renewable energy
Socially-owned renewable energy is a viable alternative which has the potential to generate income and development opportunities.
Don’t wait for us, take the lead
Leading climate scientist, Professor Sir David King, urges South Africa to take the lead into combating climate change.
US exit from Paris Agreement opens door for SA leadership
SA can choose to stick with an outdated energy system, or embrace a future where clean energy powers industries, drives growth and secures wellbeing.
Climate talks: global south must take the lead
Reducing emissions, removing greenhouse gases, repairing ecosystems and building resilience are the four R’s that can save the planet.
Why SA is not ready to produce green hydrogen
Chemical engineering specialists have mapped out the risks for South Africa in setting up a multi-billion dollar green hydrogen industry.
Global research explores climate change impact on maternal and child health
Analysis of birth records and climate data will establish how many adverse pregnancy outcomes occur due to climate change.
Award for climate change biologist
Nearly 1 million species face extinction. The award to Dr Shannon Conradie by the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant boosts interventions.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies appointed to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council
Two Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ academics and several alumni are among the economic thought leaders appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Will the COP29 climate talks tackle injustice?
Developing nations are least responsible for climate change but cop it worst. Who is responsible for climate change?
Climate change: women’s role in the economy is key to a just transition
Evidence suggests that a low-carbon transition could worsen gender inequalities if not properly addressed in climate policy.
One community at a time, says Miss Earth SA Runner-Up
“I choose to be an ear and eye for the environment, educating my peers and working together to find solutions,” says eco-warrior and third-year student.
Who cares? Climate crises and care crisis are worsening
The concept of care can serve as a powerful focal point for understanding the climate challenge and for policies toward a sustainable and equitable future.
Caring for trees and the future
The Services Department commemorated Arbor Day with a special initiative emphasising continuity and sustainability.
.jpg "Amitav Ghosh")
Imagining a pathway out of climate doom
To attune to the planet will take the power of stories, the power of people and returning to old wisdoms
Climate change: how capitalism and colonialism fit in
Amitav Ghosh has used his storytelling prowess to outline the historical and political roots of climate change within systems of power and oppression.
Four urgent reasons to tackle inequality in South Africa
Inequality is bad for politics, the economy, society and climate change, and South Africa has a huge gap between rich and poor.
Sappi Chair marks a milestone year of climate action
The Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ research team is spearheading sustainability efforts to bolster climate resilience in the forestry industry.
Social grants: A hand up, not a hand-out
The child support grant and proposed pregnancy grant give children a healthier start in life and make democratic and economic sense.
What environmental equality in Africa really looks like
As countries move to adopt green technologies to fight climate change, the Global South is left at a disadvantage in this new revolution.
A better Africa needs interdisciplinary research
Emerging Mastercard Foundation WESAF Fellows urged to bridge the knowledge deficit in climate change research and move beyond the hard sciences.
Africa is no longer the carbon sink of the world
In only nine years between 2010 and 2019, Africa has turned from being a net carbon sink, to being a net carbon source.
Students commit to sustainability projects
Members of the Green Campus Initiative, located within Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ residences, are determined to create a sustainable campus, working alongside their peers
Rooftop projects boost clean energy
There are 14 solar installations across Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to promote environmental and financial sustainability. This is in addition to the hybrid hot water system.
Solar benches facilitate outdoor learning
Benches hardly spark conversations but the new benches on campus are hitting the right notes with students.
What happened to the Just Energy Transition grant funding?
What happened to the Just Energy Transition grants? Where has the money gone to?
The ‘Sociology Madala’ who shaped the way we think
Eddie Webster was the ultimate socially engaged academic who played a key role in the labour movement.
Why taps are running dry in South Africa’s biggest city
Citizens in Johannesburg, SA's industrial heartland, use too much water, the city wastes way too much and there is too much theft of drinking water.
There’s hope for the future
Dr Jane Goodall is positive that we will overcome challenges such as climate change and biodiversity devastation.
Climate change and me
First-year student at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ says climate change and its impact on our world are more than just distant concepts—they're personal.
Microplastics found in Nile River’s tilapia fish
The Nile, one of the world’s most famous rivers, is not immune to the same pollutants that affects rivers all over the world.
Mission impossible? Not for these postdocs
8 Postdoc Fellows join Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to boost research on the intersecting themes of climate change, just transition, sustainability, and inequality.
Water and sanitation problem-solvers win
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ students among top teams at the Sustainathon 2023, bringing home great prizes.
More COP input needed from Global South universities to draw attention to region’s needs
The lack of academic representation from climate justice conferences such as COP28 by Global South universities is worrying
Pivotal moment for humanity as tipping point threats accelerate
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ professor at COP28 says that business as usual is no longer possible
Top 10 Climate Science Insights Unveiled
Global experts in social and natural sciences unveiled the annual 10 New Insights in Climate Science Report.
Insights from SA's renewables procurement
There are many unknowns about how societies will manage the climate transition. And the associated energy transition from fossil fuel-based to renewable energy.
The road to COP28 — key debates and expectations for South Africa
Discussions and negotiations on climate change will take place at COP28 after another year of record-breaking climate events and extreme weather changes.
.jpg "New fruit trees complement food gardens on campus")
New trees for a sustainable and healthy campus
The addition of fruit trees promotes food security and reminds Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies about the critical role that trees play in mitigating the effects of climate change.
Green thinking is needed to save beaches
Coastlines need to be recognised as dynamic, shifting environments rather than as environments that need to be controlled and managed.
UN body proposes new social contract
A new eco-social contract is necessary to create a sustainable and just future, responsive to multiple and intersecting crises.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ GCI co-leads pioneering initiative to fight the impact of tropical cyclones
The new R110 million project aims to improve early warnings and enhance resilience to changing tropical cyclones in southern Africa and Madagascar.
Climate change journalism in SA misses the mark
The kind of coverage favoured by South African media probably doesn’t do much to improve the public’s understanding of climate change.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and Sappi launch new Sappi Chair in Climate Change and Plantation Sustainability
Through the Research Chair Professor Mary Scholes will identify critical research needs and develop research outputs related to climate change.
Africa is getting hotter
Continued extreme heat exposure is affecting the health of vulnerable groups in communities.
Column: Ensuring a just energy transition is complex
Focusing on the dynamics in the electricity sector, Professor Imraan Valodia outlines the challenges South Africa is facing and what can be done.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ rolls out Save Our Resources campaign
Engagement with staff on climate change and its implications is crucial to creating a more sustainable campus collectively.
No time for business as usual
Central banks find themselves at a crossroads of holding to old mandates but having to face up to new world challenges.
Climate change a time for Africa to roar back
The battle for power and profits is on as the world moves towards the green agenda.
Climate change solutions must incorporate development and equality
Energy, water and food security must be prioritised, as global warming puts millions of vulnerable people, particularly in developing countries, at grave risk.
Creating a thriving and regenerative environmental ecosystem at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University is committed to imagine how waste, including food waste, can be better utilised in service of people and the planet.
Informal settlements could drive solar revolution
Solar would provide their dwellings with power, but also a source of revenue if power is sold back to the grid.
Heat stress is rising in southern Africa
Southern Africans are experiencing heat stress more often than in 1979. Climate experts show where and when it’s the worst.
Climate change can be beaten – why some scientists are hopeful
Can our planet recover from climate change? Commissioning Editor, Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, asked scientists to share the reasons they believe there is hope.
How we treat animals is key to human health, just look at Covid-19
‘Scientivist’ says planetary health must be foremost on all agendas because the ill-treatment of animals and delicate ecosystems plays havoc with human health.
We are in ‘an abusive relationship’ with nature
Earth became our servant, and we need it to be our family, says Research Professor Matthew Chersich in delivering his inaugural lecture.
How we can sustain all life forms
Repairing Earth as a whole, together, is a precondition for human durability.
COP27 explained: why should we care
It's that time of the year again when the world gathers to negotiate international climate change agreements.
Coke and dagger — Coca-Cola named sponsor for COP27
The beverage company has a questionable record not only when it comes to planetary health — its record on human health is abysmal.
World’s leading thinkers debate inequality
"We can improve the quality of life if we focus on what works – education, strong institutions, robust legal, social and fiscal systems." - Piketty
Longest daily weather record for the South digitised
A project examining the Dutch East India Company’s day registers reveals unique information on the Cape’s past climate.