Climate Change
latest news & developments
Africa is done begging
Heading into COP31 in Antalya, Africa must abandon the begging bowl and demand fair payment for uncompensated adaptation labour, loss and damage transfers, and mineral…
Is South Africa ready for El Niño? Water and food security concerns mount
Despite relatively healthy dam levels, failing municipal infrastructure, leaking pipes, and rising food prices could leave South Africa vulnerable as a powerful El Niño approaches.
Robotic sailors take on Antarctica’s winter storms
South African researchers have joined an international mission deploying autonomous Saildrones to brave harsh Antarctic winter storms and measure how the Southern Ocean absorbs…
Climate change makes November heat five times more likely in parts of South Africa
An analysis by Climate Central shows that human-caused climate change has made this week's extreme November heat in parts of South Africa up to five times more likely, affecting…
Guterres calls for climate justice compact to support developing countries
UN chief António Guterres has urged world leaders at COP31 to back a new Climate Justice Compact, pressing rich nations and oil giants to finance the global green transition.
Cape Town braces for heat, fires and water stress as very strong El Niño develops
As an exceptionally strong El Niño looms, Cape Town prepares for heightened threats of extreme heat, wildfires, and water shortages, alongside global efforts by C40 Cities to…
Gates Foundation faces reckoning over AGRA
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food has backed calls by African faith leaders for the Gates Foundation to pay reparations after its agricultural initiative failed to…
Climate adaptation funding falling far short of what countries need
Developing countries will need up to $420 billion annually by 2035 to adapt to severe climate impacts, yet public funding remains critically low, according to UNEP’s latest…
Standard Bank faces greenwashing complaint over EACOP financing
Fossil Free South Africa and the StopEACOP Coalition have filed a greenwashing complaint against Standard Bank with the Advertising Regulatory Board, challenging its…
Climate change puts SA’s young and old at greater risk from extreme heat
The 2026 Lancet Countdown report warns that escalating climate change poses an immediate threat to human survival, with extreme heat and drought hitting vulnerable populations in…
Without floods, a quarter fewer Africans in this study would have mental health problems
Living through natural disasters like floods leaves deep psychological scars that can last for years. A study across four African countries reveals the neglected mental health…
M&G Greening the Future Awards open for 2026 nominations
Nominations have opened for the 2026 Greening the Future Awards, honouring the individuals, communities, and organisations safeguarding South Africa's environment.
Let’s make the circle bigger: A just transition for all of South Africa
South Africa's just transition cannot focus solely on coal-dependent communities in Mpumalanga. Decarbonisation, economic resilience, and green industrialisation must span all…
UN warns world will exceed 1.5°C global warming target
A new UN report warns that exceeding 1.5°C of global warming is now unavoidable, but aggressive emissions cuts could curb peak temperatures and reverse warming by the century's…
SA to push for triple adaptation finance by 2035 at COP31
South Africa will advocate for a binding benchmark to triple adaptation finance by 2035 at COP31 in Türkiye, addressing the critical funding shortfall facing climate-vulnerable…