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,* it's worth trying to get a sense of the full damage being done. As a Minister, his duty is to a Constitution that …
Climate-Proofing Retirement Funds: first thoughts
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 were honoured to host Fiona Reynolds, CEO of the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, as a keynote speaker at both events. LINK TO ALL PRESENTATION VIDEOS Our Johannesburg event was 80% …
Continue reading "Climate-Proofing Retirement Funds: first thoughts"
How to influence this week’s vote by Standard Bank shareholders asking for better disclosure of climate-related risk
Even Eskom's outgoing CEO, Phakamani Hadebe, has observed that “every year, fewer investors are willing to fund fossil fuel”. Apparently, banks haven't got the memo. Our partners at Just Share, with the Raith Foundation and noted shareholder activist Theo Botha, have been leading shareholder activism in relation to Standard Bank. The bank's Notice of Annual General …
The Fossil Free SA 2018 ‘Spotlight’ campaign
To promote our Amandla.mobi petition calling on South African asset managers to support fossil fuel-free funds, we've launched a social media campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram spotlighting some of the people and organisations that support this call. Please share these posts with your followers. 20 July 18 July 13 July 11 July
New research on the financial impacts of fossil fuel divestment
Our partners in 350 have shared some recent research on the financial impacts of fossil fuel divestment with us (thesis PDF,thesis summary PPT). This research was undertaken by Alison Shulz of the University of Kassel, Germany. It should be noted that the primary focus of the divestment-reinvestment campaign is on social impacts: discrediting the fossil fuel industry …
Continue reading "New research on the financial impacts of fossil fuel divestment"
Fossil Free UCT campaign submits testimony on divestment to the UCT Institutional Reconciliation and Transformation Commission
The aims of the UCT Institutional Reconciliation and Transformation Commission (IRTC) include making ‘recommendations on institutional culture, transformation, decolonisation, discrimination, identity, disability and any other matters that the university community has raised over the past 18 months, or may wish to raise in the future.’ In the light of this mandate of the IRTC, we …
#KnysnaFires and #Capestorm should make South Africans think twice about their savings/investments in fossil fuel companies
Cape Town, 8 June:– It's difficult to directly link individual extreme weather events like the Cape storm and Knysna fires to climate change. But ever-increasing extreme weather events like these – and the Cape Town drought – are very much what has been predicted by scientists studying climate change. Climate change is caused by global …
UCT’s divestment think tank
This is the summary of the UCT divestment think tank held on 15 May 2017 at Hlanganani Junction, UCT. Fossil fuel divestment in itself is a strong signal that will notify internal and external communities throughout all sectors, of serious engagement with the topic of responsible investment, future development and planning and transformative action. UCT …
‘No jobs on a dead planet’
Why South African unions should stop investing in fossil fuels and lobby for a just, planned transition to a green economy. Briefing compiled by Fossil Free South Africa, February 2017. Contact: David Le Page, david@fossilfreesa.org.za / +27845220968. PDF version here More jobs: Yes, the fossil fuel industry creates jobs, but it also creates climate change, air …
