FFSA urges South Africa to reject fossil gas, aligning with global calls to cut gas consumption for climate action. Reports show gas is not a cleaner alternative, and methane emissions accelerate global warming. COP27 highlights the urgent need for a rapid transition to renewable energy.

FFSA raises concerns about the Africa Climate Summit’s business-focused agenda, which lacks a clear commitment to phasing out fossil fuels. The summit, influenced by vested interests, has excluded many grassroots voices. FFSA supports African civil society’s call for a Just Transition and stronger climate action.

FFSA criticises Minister Mantashe for misrepresenting EU policy to justify gas and nuclear projects, and warns that expanding fossil fuels will harm the economy, worsen inequality, and contradict global climate goals.

Academic institutions in South Africa who want to stand up against the fossil fuel industry – you can sign on here.

On Wednesday 28 June 2023, we launched a new campaign urging the City of Cape Town to implement a comprehensive ban on fossil fuel advertising, branding and sponsorship in the city.

On 16 March, as guests of our co-hosts from the International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG), we presented a talk on climate issues as they may pertain to the labour movement at Community House, Salt River, in the Imam Haron Hall.

Eight years after we first wrote to UCT asking for divestment, the university council decided on 12 March to divest.

Following the September announcement by China’s Premier Xi Jinping that China would no longer finance new coal power abroad, we wondered about the implications of that announcement for the giant, very dirty 3GW coal-fired power plant proposed for the China-financed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone.

When we started working on building a fossil fuel divestment movement here in South Africa, the global pool of capital that had committed to removing fossil fuels was less than $200 million.

Sasol recently set new targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions, particularly, a 30% reduction by 2030 and "net zero" by 2050.

After eight long years of trying to persuade UCT to stop investments in fossil fuels, the University of Cape Town’s Panel on Responsible Investment (UPRI) has now published its recommendation on divestment – which is, that UCT should divest from all fossil fuel investments by 2030!

On Monday evening, we were hosted by Extinction Rebellion's group in the Cape Town South Peninsula. It was the first time we've done an event in person since the beginning of the pandemic, and it was really refreshing to be speaking to people in person again (outside, in a beautiful garden, well-distanced). Our deep thanks to the organisers and host

Letters to the new Council in support of divestment have now been sent by:

• two groups of UCT academics and students, centred on the faculty of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, and Climate Systems Analysis Group (CSAG)

Last week, we had a conversation amongst ourselves which went something like this:

Last Thursday, UCT's Convocation, the body comprising all alumni and academic staff, passed a vote overwhelmingly in favour (40 votes in favour and 8  against) of our motion calling for divestment from fossil fuels, and amendment calling for UCT to lead a coalition for divestment in South Africa.

May 2019: Protest for divestment on campus

How would you advise people to handle disinvestment with their financial advisors in terms of the funds they are invested in? Would it be a simple "switch all funds out of fossil fuels"...something like that?

As our new Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources fights to keep our economy in the dark ages, aided and abetted by a media sector credulous enough to repeat 'clean coal' rhetoric…

We held our first-ever 'Climate-Proofing Retirement Funds' events in Cape Town and Johannesburg this week, focused on asset owners, particularly retirement fund boards.

We've just published an article on the Daily Maverick explaining how non-profits can multiply their impacts…