Year | UCT | Stellenbosch Uni. | Wits | Asset managers / #InvestFossilFree | Clean Creatives | Fossil Ad Ban | Comms / other |
2025 | 25 March: Meeting request sent to UPRI 14 March: GCI Opening event 11 March: JIC meets. 6 March: Environmental Health session Feb: Sent new letter to VC proposing campus climate leadership summit and requesting meetings with UPRI, JIC and foundation. 13 Feb: Participated in O-week campus society day. 7 Feb: Supported GCI society day on campus 6 Feb: Met with convenors of UCT campus-wide conversations. | 13 March: Temperature Rising Screening (Neelsie) 7 March: Orientation Societies day 3 Feb: Met with Prof Mbhenyane and Prof Carr (Tygerberg campus) 3&6 Feb: Supported Eco-Maties orientation week activities with Majuba and Aurora residences | 21 Feb: Met with JustShare and Ince - shareholder activism and communications, buying shares to attend 27 Jan: Met with Allan Gray and Ninety One requesting fossil-free funds | 11 March: FFSA newsletter: “FAB launches SA’s first report on fossil fuel industry greenwashing” 5 March: Distribute press release: “SA's first greenwashing report unpacks fossil fuel deception” 29 Jan: Newsletter, “Our inspiration: The Wellbeing Economy” | |||
2024 | 12 Dec: We met the new UCT VC, Prof Mosa Moshabela. He confirmed his commitment to implementing Council’s 2022 divestment decision. 18 Sep: Future in Focus: Screening of Temperature Rising and open discussion. In collaboration with African Climate Alliance and Green Campus Initiative at UCT. 21 Aug: UCT student de-fossilisation training with Green Campus Initiative at UCT. 09 Aug: Response from Prof Daya Reddy, Vice-Chancellor ad-interim and special advisor to VC Prof Moshabela. 20 June: Second follow-up letter to UCT registrar requesting substantive response to our letter of October 2023. February: David attended O-week. | 16 October: We held a planning session with Eco-Maties for 2025. 1 Aug: Stellenbosch University student divestment training. Hosted with EcoMaties and UNASA SU. 19 July: Life beyond fossil fuels - Sustainability Institute training in Stellenbosch.. 16 June: FFSA reps joined the SU Social Justice walk to engage with SU senior representatives. 1 May: FFSA joined the panellists for an World Press Freedom Day event focused on climate and hosted by the SU journalism department. | 15 November: Our inaugural Investment Justice Walk: We took 32 participants on an investment social history tour of Cape Town, including the Slave Lodge, Parliament, District Six, Tutu Foundation, and the V&A Waterfront. 2 Oct: Launch event for the Planet A Investment Guide at an event in Woodstock, Cape Town attended by 40 guests. We had representatives from WWF, Sanlam, Efficient Group and Old Mutual Investment Group who presented their funds and participated in a panel discussion led by our divestment campaign team. Sept: Our team of six student interns begins lobbying public in and around Cape Town on Saturday mornings. They’ve worked every Saturday except the 28th of September. | 6 June: BizCommunity story on Clean Creatives’ pledge 5 June: UN Secretary-General calls on agencies to stop working for fossil fuel companies. Featured in MarkLives, Bizcommunity, IDIDTHAT and see our social media post here. 8 May: The F-List Awards 2024 was streamed on May 8th, featuring South Africa’s very own special guest, Kagiso ‘KG’ Mokgadi. TotalEnergies won The Emerald Salad-Spinner Award for Greenest Greenwash, as it proved to be a local example of the worst greenwashing we’ve seen by a fossil fuel company in South Africa. Watch the F-List Awards here. 2 May: MarkLives.com story on Clean Creatives pledge 22 April: In celebration of Earth Day this year, the global Clean Creatives team announced that over 1,000 advertising and PR agencies have signed the pledge worldwide. 57 of these agencies are in South Africa, the fourth highest number after the US, Canada and the UK. View our social media post here. 29 March-1 April: Attended Greenpop Reforest Fest on the MINI Big Love Stage, moderated by Jeremy Loops. See Greenpop’s Instagram post here. 9 March: "Women for Change: Uniting Business and Climate Leaders for a Sustainable Future" webinar with SHE Changes Climate. Feb: DNA Brand Architects signs the pledge and Founder, Sylvester Chauke, spoke about the need for agencies to move away from working for oil companies in a TED Talk. | 10 Dec: The ARB advised us that it had rejected TotalEnergies appeal of its judgment upholding our greenwashing complaint. 11th & 12th of November: Conducted our first community workshop on greenwashing in the Albert Luthuli Municipality in Mpumalanga. 12 Sept: Webinar on “Climate change, women’s health and the fossil fuel influence”. Panel featuring Thameena Dhansay (moderator), Maryam Hassan Bukkar/Alhanislam (CureAfrica), Patricia Odeibea Bekoe (Odeibea Foundation), Dr Gloria Maimela (Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute) and Lazola Kati (Fossil Ad Ban presenter). 11 June: Cape Talk interview with David on greenwashing complaint 11 June: Eye Witness news covers ARB greenwashing complaint 10 June: Daily Maverick, story on ARB ggreenwashing complaint May: Submitted complaint on TotalEnergies greenwashing to the ARB. Feb: Initial meeting with Advertising Regulatory Board
| December 17: Year-end newsletter, “New FFSA victory marks milestone on greenwashing” December 4: Newsletter, “TotalEnergies’ campaign of deceit, Creative Cleanup and the F-list” November 19: Newsletter: “The Arch would have given his rousing support to your walk” October 25: Newsletter, “Walk with us for Investment Justice” October 17: Newsletter: Planet A Investment launch wrap, investment walk, and a few other stories, titled “Our revamped Planet A guide gains wings” 18 September: Distributed FFSA newsletter, “Join us for the launch of our revamped Planet A Investment Guide.” September 6: Distributed newsletter, “Fossil Free South Africa’s upcoming events roundup” September - October: Major update and revamp of Planet A Investment Guide 28 August: Presentation to journalists from across southern Africa at the KHSA Regional Media Programme. 30 August: Distributed FFSA newsletter - “Our victory against TotalEnergies’ greenwashing makes waves” 3 August: Palestine, Planet and Our People: Open Mic and Exhibition in Muizenberg (Event partnering with African Climate Alliance, Climate Justice Coalition, UCT4Palestine and SA Jews for a Free Palestine) 2 Aug: Distributed FFSA newsletter on all campaign progress, titled “Gaza: from devastation to inspiration”. 16 July: Distributed Climate Beat SA newsletter, “Inspiration for your climate reporting”. 13 July: Community Reboot and Annual General Meeting with a screening of Temperature Rising (documentary by Anita Khanna, Jacqueline van Meygaarden, and Rehad Desai) 11 July: Genocide in Gaza: Environmental and Colonial Lenses online panel discussion with Fadi Quran (Director of AVAAZ), Nina Lakhani (Senior climate justice reporter at The Guardian US) and Tara Nair van Ryneveld (Policy coordinator at SAFCEI). June 28: Distributed Planet A newsletter: “We’re revamping our Planet A Investment Guide and would love your input” May 31: Distributed FFSA newsletter, “We’re growing” May 30: Distributed Climate Beat newsletter, “Alert to journalists: we’ve updated our Climate Reporting Guide.” May 30: Distributed newsletter “FFSA: recent university engagements”
March 18: Distributed Climate Beat SA newsletter, “Mantashe misrepresents EU policy to justify gas, nuclear expansion in SA.” March: Completed Mozambique Climate Reporting Guide in collaboration with Natural Justice February 22: Distributed newsletter, “Want to help guide the work of FFSA?” | |
2023 | October: FFSA sends a letter to UCT Vice Chancellor and Council, following up on the state of divestment at UCT. 19 May: De-fossilising UCT campaign begins with a seminar on how fossil fuels are embedded in universities through research and more. | 11 October: FFSA distributes a press release at the inaugural JICA chair lecture at SU, critiquing SU for greenwashing Japan’s poor performance on climate. 31 August: Finance director Manie Lombard declines to meet us. | 4 August: We participated in a Wits SRC-hosted debate/discussion hosted by the “African Youth Energy Network”, a proxy of the oil-and-gas lobby African Energy Chamber. | November: Launched social media campaign to boost #InvestFossilFree reach and audience.
21 September: Terrible Twins event on finance and fossil fuels for Cape Town Climate Week, with partners Just Share and Fair Finance Coalition. 20 September: Op-ed in Daily Maverick highlighting shortcomings in asset managers approaches, with analysis of Old Mutual’s ESG work. 8 September: Presentation to ~400 PPS staff on climate and divestment 18 July: Money Talk webinar with Sanlam rep Ashley Daswa and Brad McWalter. June :Op-ed in Daily Maverick | December: Runners up to Daily Maverick’s People of the Year Award in the category: Our Burning Planet Heroes of the Year. 30 November: Won a 2023 Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award. 9 November: Featured on IDIDTHAT. November 6-9: Attended CCII KR Foundation convening, Amsterdam. 13 October: Featured on IDIDTHAT. 12 October: Featured in Daily Maverick Op-ed. 12 October: Featured in MarkLives #OnTheRadar. 10 October: Interview with Cape Talk. 9 October: Featured in Daily Maverick. 9 October: Featured in Business Day. 6 October: Featured in GroundUp. 5 October: Attended Loeries Young Creatives Brunch. 4 October: Release of the SA F-list 2023. 4 October: CCSA Happy Hour event at the Electric. 20 September: Unleashing Creativity for Climate Action hybrid event during African Climate Alliance Cape Town Climate Week. 19 September: Started Loeries petition on change.org. 5 September: Contributed to “Clean Up Your Act” panel discussion at MIP/FAME Week Africa. 12 July: 1 year of CCSA. 27 June: Treeshake community dinner. April-Sept: Creative Cleanup 2023 Schools Challenge in collaboration with Creatives for Climate. In person lectures and challenge briefings at: - AAA Cape Town, AAA Johannesburg, Red and Yellow, UCT, CPUT, CityVarsity. 20 April: Earth Day event supported by TedXJohannesburg. 14 April: Featured on IDIDTHAT. 21 March: Human Rights Day Open Letter. 17 February: Campaign hosts meetup and information session in Durban. 16 February: Clean Creatives SA attends Advertising Week Africa in Johannesburg. | 28 June: Launch Webinar 27 August: Daily Maverick Op-ed on Sasol and Banyana Banyana 20 September: Unleashing Creativity for Climate Action panel discussion 26 September: Daily Maverick Op-Ed on TotalEnergies and SANParks Week | November: Commenced partnership with Rosa Luxemburg Foundation to produce African edition of our Climate Reporting Guide. June: Completed a first update to our Climate Reporting Guide. |
2022 | November: The University approved this summary of its progress to date on divestment: ‘At the time of UCT’s divestment commitment in March 2022, the endowment’s investments in fossil fuels amounted to around 3.6% of the total of R5.1 billion with allocations of 0.4% to local renewable energy. In line with UCT’s declared strategy of beginning the divestment process with offshore assets, the university has reduced its fossil fuel exposure to around 2.3% towards the end of September 2022. In addition, the foundation has recently committed a significant amount (greater than 1.5%) to fund local infrastructure opportunities, which include renewable energy, waste to energy and water in South Africa.’ March: UCT commits to divestment | 24 Nov: The Stellenbosch University Investment Committee declines to meet with Fossil Free SA and Fossil Free Stellenbosch to discuss the case for divestment. 4 Oct: Fossil Free Stellenbosch launches a new petition calling on the university to divest from fossil fuels. 3 Oct: Fossil Free SA writes to SU, requesting an opportunity to present the case for divestment to the investment committee of the university council. 20 Sep: The Fossil Free Stellenbosch campaign hosts a second campus dialogue on fossil fuel divestment. 19 Apr: As part of the Earth Week Dialogue Series, students organised a fresh dialogue on divestment, with a panel that included Stellenbosch University (SU) chief operating officer Prof Stan Du Plessis, SU sustainability manager John de Wet, Stellenbosch mayoral committee member Lwando Nkamisa, FFSA’s David Le Page, student governance representative Anele Mdepa, and event organiser Muhammed Lokhat. 25 Mar: Calls for SU to divest are renewed by speakers at the PeopleNotProfit protest for climate justice in Stellenbosch. 13 Feb: The German podcast ‘Stories of Climate Change Hope’ profiles the early Fossil Free Stellenbosch campaign. | February: Contributed to position statement developed on the climate change response of Wits University for the Wits 2033 Strategic Framework | December: More than 20 agencies and 30 individual creatives take the Clean Creatives pledge in SA by the end of the year. December: Campaign featured in Treevolution. 29 November: Clean Creatives hosts the first Happy Hour meetup in Cape Town. 28 October: Endorsement of the campaign by The Desmond & Leah Tutu Foundation announced in Clean Creatives newsletter. 5 October: Clean Creatives SA hosts an event in Cape Town during Loeries Creative Week. 30 September: Clean Creatives SA holds seminar for students at UCT’s Centre for Film and Media Studies. 19 September: US Clean Creatives launches the global F-List report of over 230 agencies working for the fossil fuel industry. The SA campaign contributes a case study on Sasol and participates in the media launch. 12 July: Clean Creatives campaign launch at Alliance Francaise in Cape Town. 9 July: Clean Creatives SA profiled in News24 article. | 16 May: Talk to representatives of the labour sector, ILRIG. | ||
2021 | 11 May: Fossil Free SA presents the case for divestment to the UCT leadership lekgotla, at the invitation of the Vice Chancellor. Students protest on campus in support of the UPRI making the strongest possible recommendations for divestment. 22 April: UCT launches the University Panel on Responsible Investment, and acknowledges in discussion that this body was formed as a consequence of lobbying by the Fossil Free UCT and Green Campus Initiative. The initial focus of the panel is the issue of fossil fuel divestment. 24 March: The Green Campus Initiative writes to student reps on Council, asking them to take up the issue of divestment. 15 February: We have a brief but encouraging conversation with Council chair Babalwa Ngonyama. January: We request a meeting with Council via the chair of Council, Professor Eddie Maloka. | 18 Aug: Daily Maverick: ‘Climate crisis: Decarbonising window will close for universities like Wits if they don’t lead the way‘ July 2021: Presentation by Professor Matthew Chersich to Wits RHI. Download the slides here. 18 Aug: Mail & Guardian: ‘Academics, students urge Wits to divest‘ 16 Apr: Mail & Guardian: ‘Wits in a climate hot spot’ Position statement developed on the climate change response of Wits University for the Wits 2033 Strategic Framework | #Investfossilfree launches with asset manager letter and sign-ups for investors |
Stephen Horn launches the Clean Creatives SA campaign and pledge online.
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2020 | 9 December: At the 2020 meeting of the UCT Convocation, for the third time, we won our motion in favour of divestment. Our candidate for Convocation President, Yvette Abrahams, was voted down. UCT Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng, did indicate that the divestment principle has now been accepted by university management, and that all that awaits is implementation. She even mentioned possible collaboration with Fossil Free SA. October 21: We present the case for divestment to the University Panel on Responsible Investment, and argue that UCT should adopt a climate emergency investment plan. The response is positive, but we are advised that Council will only consider recommendations on divestment in September 2021. September: Academics, students, Cape Town school pupils and NGOs write to the newly appointed UCT Council urging divestment. 13 August: Two asset managers send letters of intent to the UCT Retirement Fund expressing their willingness to manage fossil-free ESG funds, should the RF decide to invest along those lines. 11 August: For the first time, UCT News publishes an article on the university’s moves towards socially responsible investment, giving full credit to the role played by Fossil Free UCT/SA. May: Together with members of the UCT Green Campus Initiative, we had an online meeting with the UCT Vice Chancellor and members of the UCT University Panel on Responsible Investment in May, asking them to divert a small portion of UCT’s investments to help establish fossil-free funds in SA. They said no. They also refused our requests to make our case directly to Council and the JIC. We pressed them repeatedly on the issue of climate urgency, but the most they were prepared to commit to was for the UPRI to meet with us “sometime this year”. | November: The US Clean Creatives campaign kicks off. | September: eThekwini/Durban announces that it will divest. | ||||
2019 | December 12: We pass a second motion to Convocation calling on the University to divest. November: Second motion on divestment proposed for the meeting of Convocation 12 December. Commence engagement with the chair of the University Panel on Responsible Investment (a body created as a consequence of our activism). August: Five representatives of the UCT Retirement Fund attend our workshop on ‘Climate-Proofing Retirement Funds’. (Note: most of our UCT campaign has been focused on the university endowment; the RF is an independent and separate fund.) May: UCT finance director Ashley Francis advises us that the University Panel on Responsible Investment has commenced its work, but is meeting only quarterly and unlikely to make any substantive recommendations before 2020. Fossil Free SA refers information on a proposed fossil free fund to UCT, which UCT asks asset consultants Towers Watson to screen. | July/August: We hold workshops in Johannesburg and Cape Town on ‘Climate-Proofing Retirement Funds’, in partnership with UN PRI. | September: Cape Town’s deputy mayor, Ian Neilson, addresses the global divestment conference, Financing the Future, held at the V&A Waterfront. FFSA was a co-convenor of the conference.. | ||||
2018 | 5 November: Fossil Free UCT met with UCT’s new vice chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng. Prof Phakeng indicated that the university has in essence accepted the principle of divestment, though it has yet to implement it. Read the meeting summary. 3 September: Representatives of Fossil Free UCT offered oral testimony to the UCT IRTC, building on our written submission. 3 September: First meeting with representatives of the UCT Pension Fund (which is administered independently of UCT). 15 August: Lunchtime panel discussion on climate change, renewable energy and fossil fuel divestment in Molly Blackburn Hall. 14 August: Green Campus Initiative/Fossil Free UCT documentary screening on campus. 25 June: The Fossil Free UCT campaign, including the Green Campus Initiative and Climate Action Project, submit testimony on why UCT should divest to the Institutional Reconciliation and Transformation Commission. June: The University Panel for Responsible Investment meets for the first time, with plans to meet again in August and November. January: UCT begins the process of appointing a university panel on responsible investment. | ||||||
2017 | 24 June: The UCT Council approves a responsible investment policy that creates the framework for formal institutional consideration of issues such as divestment. 15 May: UCT divestment think tank meeting co-hosted by UCT vice chancellor Dr Max Price, Pro Vice Chancellor for Climate Change Mark New and the Climate Action Project. 8-12 May: Students from the UCT Green Campus Initiative and Climate Action Project gather another 300 signatures in favour of UCT divesting during Global Divestment Mobilisation activities. 23 March: Fossil Free SA spoke at a UCT lunch-time seminar on divestment hosted by the Minerals to Metals research group in the faculty of chemical engineering. 2 March: UCT’s Convocation, the gathering of all alumni and faculty, votes overwhelmingly in support of UCT divesting from oil, gas and coal. | 27 Jul: Die Matie profiles the Fossil Free Stellenbosch campaign: ‘Stellenbosch ‘can do more for the environment’. 5 May: May Boeve, Executive Director of the 350.org international campaign, addressed students on fossil fuel divestment at the 12 May 2015 FVZS Discoursé Café. | 19 June: After nine months of joint representations from FFSA and 350 Africa, the City of Cape Town commits to fossil fuel divestment. | ||||
2016 | 15 December: We propose a motion for UCT to divest at the annual meeting of Convocation (academics and alumni). The motion would not be binding, but would carry moral weight. The meeting of Convocation, however, is interrupted by the convergent strains of other tensions on campus, and is adjourned before our motion is considered. Convocation should be reconvened on 28 February, when we expect our motion to be considered again. 21 November: Three letters and petitions calling for UCT to divest were handed over to Vice Chancellor Dr Max Price in person by student members of the Climate Action Project and Green Campus Initiative. September: Three UCT students attend a 350.org national student workshop on fossil fuel divestment in Johannesburg. 18 May: Fossil Free UCT attends the first 2016 meeting of the UCT Ethical Investment Task Team, which met to discuss a draft proposal for establishing a responsible investing framework for the university. 17 May: With the African Climate Development Initiative and Climate Action Project, we hold a seminar on UCT and fossil fuel divestment. | ||||||
2015 | 18 August: Fossil Free UCT participates in a meeting of the university’s ethical investment task team. 30 July: Masters students in the African Climate Development Initiative at UCT, with the ‘strong support’ of the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, write to the university urging divestment. 12 May: Fossil Free UCT facilitates a meeting between May Boeve of 350.org, UCT Vice Chancellor Dr Max Price and members of the UCT investment task team. 11 May: Fossil Free UCT, with the Green Campus Initiative, hosts a talk by May Boeve, executive director of 350.org. 21 April: Fossil Free UCT supported a Divestment Dinner convened by students in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences. 17 February: Fossil Free UCT meets with UCT Vice Chancellor Dr Max Price and colleagues. The VC informs us that our efforts initiated a process that has led to Council deciding to adopt an ethical investment strategy and to consider the issue of fossil fuel divestment. We are invited to join the task team that will be investigating the mechanics of ethical investment/divestment. 13 February: As part of international divestment day, Fossil Free UCT conducts small demonstrations at several locations on the UCT campus. 13 January: We receive news that the UCT Council has proposed an advisory committee to be established to advise on fossil fuel divestment and other ethical investment issues. | First Stellenbosch divestment petition established. Fossil Free Stellenbosch movement launched. | |||||
2014 | 8 December: More than two months after writing to the administration, our requests for information from the university have so far been ignored. 5 November: UCT’s Joint Investment Committee meets. Fossil Free UCT has received no response to our letter of 30 September. We write again to UCT Council members, asking that the issue be considered, and circulate a detailed rationale for fossil fuel divestment. 7 October: 2nd lunchtime screening of Do the Math to 10 people. 1 October: The UCT Collective hosts a lunchtime forum to discuss fossil fuel divestment attended by around 30 people. 30 September: Second letter to UCT administration – requesting information about UCT’s investments and proposing expert engagement on the subject of divestment – is sent to Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price. Lunchtime screening of the 350.org documentary, Do the Math, is attended by 20 people. 23 September: UCT Chancellor Graça Machel, speaking in a closing speech at the UN Climate Summit in New York, says: “You must have the courage to tell business that it is not only about the profits but about our collective survival and wellbeing.” 30 July: UCT campaign launch is attended by over 100 people. 18 July: Archbishop Desmond Tutu endorses our campaign for divestment at UCT. 5 July: Presentation on our campaign to the World Student Environment Network 2014 summit. 20 June: Presentation on our campaign at the Student Energy Summit 2014 at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. 29 April: An oped calling for divestment is published in the student newspaper VARSITY. 10 April: Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu calls for a worldwide boycott of fossil fuel companies. 7 March: Fossil Free UCT meets with UCT finance director Enrico Uliana and financial accounting director Peter Grant. | 4 July: Fossil Free South Africa addressed student delegates from around the world on the subject of fossil fuel divestment during the World Student Environment Network 2014 Global Summit in Stellenbosch. | |||||
2013 | 5 November: Nine UCT faculty, staff, students and alumni write to UCT asking for information on its current fossil fuel investments. |