Good News Projects
Randburg residents join forces to Green SA (South Africa Good News website - 01 Feb '12)
Saturday 28th January saw dozens of members of the Ferndale and Randburg community flanking workers from employment NGO Fundi, taking up their gardening tools in a joint effort to improve their area. "I was most heartened to see the participation from a broad cross spectrum of the community that came out to take part in the clean up. There is a strong push to regain Ferndale, spearheaded by the Forum of Residents Associations of Ferndale & Randburg. These folk rolled up their sleeves and were the change they wanted to see in the area. I will most certainly use Fundi in future projects and would highly recommend them to anyone," said Ward Councillor Mike Wood. The clean up formed the launch of Green SA: Adopt a Pavement, a project of employment NGO Fundi (formerly Men on the Side of the Road) in partnership with Johannesburg City Parks. The project was launched in the Ferndale/Randburg area where local businesses and residences joined forces to finance a clean up drive through Oxford Street and parts of Main Avenue. Residents worked side by side with Fundi members and donated tools. Many were inspired to start cleaning nearby areas as well as stopping to offer help, support and encouragement.
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SA based green search engine launched (South Africa Good News website - 01 Feb '12)
Ads4Trees.com is a South African based, next-generation search engine and ad-network that is committed to carbon reduction and large-scale reforestation for the benefit of the earth's environment. By simply using the Ads4Trees search engine service, users around the world are able to help the earth's ailing environment by reducing CO2 emissions and contributing to large-scale global reforestation projects. Ads4Trees is one of the easiest ways in which people can make a tangible contribution to saving the environment, simply by changing their default search engine provider. For every $30 which an advertisers spends advertising through our world-class pay-per-click ad network, we will ensure that 2 trees get planted or a food garden created by our global-reforestation partners on behalf of that business. Ads4Trees is built on 2 pillars: our groundbreaking search service that is powered exclusively by renewable green energy from Germany and our world-class ad-network which provides advertisers with an easy way to leverage the growing pro-green lobby so prevalent amongst today's plugged-in consumers.
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Plan to root out waste tyres (Green sustainability news - 18 Jan '12)
A Section 21 company known as REDISA won the approval to manage the country's waste tyres estimated at over 200 000 tons a year. REDISA will collect the waste tyres from all over the country, including tonnes from stock piles that are unaccounted for, for use in various recycling processes and for fuel and other energy needs.
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Converting landfills to energy (Green sustainability news - 13 Jan '12)
Several regional Landfill Interest Groups (LIG), which fall under the auspices of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), enthusiastically support, educate and encourage progress in the field of landfill management and extraction methodologies, as landfill gas can be converted to energy, such as electricity and is a renewable resource.
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Standard Bank’s commitment to financing a more sustainable future (Standard Bank website - 07 Dec '11)
Standard Bank’s commitment to financing a more sustainable future was demonstrated through its investments in three areas: reducing its own energy footprint, participating in the clean development mechanism and a R12-billion line of credit it made available in support of bids for phase one of South Africa’s programme to build independent renewable-energy generating capability. In terms of its own energy footprint, Standard Bank recently installed a hybrid solar water heating system linked to two heat pumps in its Johannesburg head office and two direct solar photovoltaic systems in Durban and Johannesburg. Through the effective use of the clean development mechanism, Standard Bank enabled the rollout of more than 75 000 solar water heaters to poor households in the Nelson Mandela Bay and eThekwini municipalities.
Last year, Standard Bank completed transactions using the clean development mechanism that resulted in emissions abatement of more than 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. Standard Bank is demonstrating real commitment to building an alternative energy industry and will continue in both South Africa and other developing counties, such as Kenya and Brazil, where it has been involved in large scale wind projects.
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CDP South Africa JSE 100 Report 2011 (NBI website - 06 Dec '11)
The National Business Initiative together with the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) invite you to read the fifth South African report on the Top 100 JSE listed companies. The report illustrates what South African business is doing with regard to Climate Change strategy, governance, risk and opportunity management and well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emission measurement and verification. 74 of the JSE’s top 100 companies committed to reducing green house gas emissions. The National Business Initiative (NBI) says South Africa’s major companies are now ranked among global leaders in measuring and reporting on their greenhouse gas emissions. Up to 74 of the JSE’s (Johannesburg Stock Exchange) top 100 companies have responded to the 2010 carbon disclosure project (CDP) to disclose their green house gas emissions. The NBI says this is a significant improvement on last year’s 68% of listed companies who were willing to come clean. It is also the fourth highest response rate among 20 countries in which 4 500 of the world’s largest corporations were surveyed.
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Trailblazing work on climate change to help most vulnerable (UNFPA africa website - 01 Dec '11)
A South African success story is the Heiveld Co-operative, an initiative among Suid Bokkeveld Rooibos tea farmers, who collectively market their locally-produced organic Rooibos. In a joint presentation, Mpho Nenweli, Environment and Energy Manager, United Nations Development Programme in South Africa (UNDP) and Khathutshelo Neluheni, National Co-ordinator for the GEF Small Grants Programme, explained that the group has increased its production of Rooibos from 20 tonnes in 2001 to 71 tonnes in 2008, as well as expanded its sales to four continents – Africa, Europe, North America and Australia. The Co-operative’s socio-economic impact on the community has been positive, raising the quality of life of 54 farmers and their dependants. The session showcased trail-blazing work on mitigation approaches and technology innovations, said Agostinho Zacarias, Resident Representative of UNDP and Resident Co-ordinator for the UNCT of South Africa. “These have implications for improving the plight of those most affected by the impacts of climate change, as well as community-level adaptation endeavours which have up-scaling potential.” Speakers also highlighted the vulnerabilities of specific groups, for example the gender dimensions of climate change and the impact on migrants and indigenous peoples, and how to optimize contributions to the climate change solution by such groups.
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Energy Efficiency (Green sustainability news – Dec ‘11)
Household lighting: ESKOM has an initiative where they allow people to exchange old light bulbs for energysaving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s). In the previous roll-out done in KZN the new bulbs saved as much as 131 MW during peak times – enough electricity to power approximately 81 875 average homes! A fluorescent lamp contains a small amount of mercury, which is toxic. Woolworths and Pick n Pay has specially designed bins where you can dispose of used CFL’s. Solar heating: Eskom offers a rebate on solar water-heating systems. Eskom is offering homeowners rebates of 15 to 20 percent on the cost of installing solar waterheating systems through its Solar Rebate Programme. Therefore homeowners can now save from about R1 860 up to R4 900 on the cost of a solar water-heating system with a total cost of R 14 000 to R 33 000.
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Select a winning Total Eco-Pioneer (Green sustainability news - Dec ‘11)
Total South Africa is encouraging South Africans to be more eco-friendly by running a social media campaign and competition that highlights those who have innovative projects aimed at assisting the environment or taking recycling to a new level. The campaign, called Eco-Pioneers, will see the winner receiving R20 000 towards furthering his or her eco-friendly project.
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Portable plant makes fuel from waste - (Liveeco website - 06 Dec '11)
Scientists from Wits University’s Centre of Materials and Process Synthesis (Comps) and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), have developed new technology that can produce liquid fuel, electricity, waxes and paraffin from agricultural and solid municipal waste. The modular unit, known as the BeauTi-FueL project, was developed by an all-South African team and has a negative carbon footprint. The R5-million (US$590 000) pilot plant will be showcased at the COP17 climate change conference in Durban. How it works. Dr Michaela Vrey from Comps explains that the development team modified existing technology to process a solid waste feedstock. The unit was designed with a focus on smaller communities with lower energy and fuel consumption requirements. The process allows solid material with a carbon content to be converted using plasma gasification technology, supplied by Necsa. Plasma technology is used in the treatment of nuclear waste.
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Eskom launches solar pilot project - (SouthAfrica.info - 22 Nov '11)
South African state company Eskom has embarked on a pilot project that will see it using the power of the sun to generate electricity at three of its facilities. The power utility, together with Pubic Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba, launched a solar photovoltaic (PV) installation at its Lethabo Power Station near Vereeniging in Gauteng province on Monday. The launch is the first stage of a project designed to introduce renewable energy sources to supply power for internal use at Eskom's coal-fired power stations and reduce the company's carbon footprint by about 2 845 tons a year. Solar PV technologies use the power of the sun to generate electricity, and there are currently three types being tested by Eskom. Eskom CEO Brian Dames said there were three pilot facilities - at Lethabo, Kendal in Mpumalanga province, and Eskom's Head Office at Megawatt Park in Johannesburg - at a cost of roughly R90-million.
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Avis supports carbon offset project (MediaClubSouthAfrica.com - 18 Nov '11)
As its carbon offset project for the future, Avis Rent a Car has chosen a cooking and heating method which reduces carbon emissions and is more economical than traditional methods commonly used in townships. The Basa njengo Magogo (isiZulu, meaning "make a fire like a grandmother") teaches sound environmental principles through simple behaviour change and is the first Gold Standard project of its kind in the world. Gold Standard is recognised as the international benchmark for certification of carbon mitigation projects. The programme, which has already been introduced successfully around South Africa, teaches local communities to burn coal according to the Basa njengo Magogo (BnM) method, which is more fuel efficient and cuts pollution considerably.
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IDC fund helps companies go green - MediaClubSouthaAfrica.com (31 Oct '11)
Energy-efficient and environment-friendly South African companies now have a competitive edge, thanks to the R500-million Green Energy Efficiency Fund launched by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and German development bank Kfw in mid-October. The fund has been developed to provide loans with favourable terms to small to medium-sized enterprises that use energy-efficient equipment and technologies, increase productivity while cutting back on waste, and reduce emissions or use renewable resources. To qualify, companies will have to have a turnover of R51-million or less, hold R55-million in assets and employ no more than 200 people. Speaking at the launch of the fund, IDC CEO Geoffrey Qhena said it was designed to promote investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy, technologies that will help South Africa transition to a low-carbon economy.
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The Fresh Air Factory, a Durban-based community project that creates "green" products - (SouthAfrica.info - 21 Oct '11)
Climate change innovation is taking off in a big way in South Africa – as demonstrated by initiatives such as The Fresh Air Factory, a Durban-based community project that creates "green" products by recycling locally available materials. Through the project, based at the Eco Park in Durban's Bluff area, a group of previously disadvantaged locals are being given the opportunity to earn money and acquire business skills by producing environmentally friendly products from recycled materials. One of the challenges for achieving climate change sustainability is getting local communities to respond in ways that will not only see their environments looked after, but will also create jobs, impart new skills, and help the community to prosper.
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Just Trees Nursery Plants 1274 tres to remain carbon neutrral (Enviroadmin - 06 Oct '11)
One would think that a nursery – by virtue of the fact that its business is trees – is ‘green’ by default. But take into account factors such as the electricity, fuel, fertilizer, containers, plastic bags, paper and transport that are required to produce trees and, like any other product, a container-grown tree can tread heavily on the Earth in terms of the carbon footprint it leaves behind.
For the second year in a row Just Trees in Paarl is taking steps to ensure that the trees they are selling carry no residual carbon footprint. They conducted an internal assessment and then calculated their carbon footprint under the guidelines set out in the GHG Protocol. This was then reviewed by experienced carbon footprint analysts all regulated by The Carbon Protocol South Africa.
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FirstRand Employees Housebuilding in Tembisa (FirstRand website – Oct ‘11)
120 Corporate employees from the FirstRand Group (FirstRand, First National Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, WesBank and Eris Properties) were out in Tembisa building homes for needy families between Monday, 17th October and Friday, 21st October. These corporates partnered with the Niall Mellon Township Trust, whose main aim is to provide quality social housing for impoverished communities. This housebuild is a corporate collaboration where employees are mobilised to take time out of their daily jobs, to give something back, in corporate time. The Niall Mellon Township Trust which was established in 2002, build homes through strong partnerships with corporate volunteers, community and government. Since 2002 they have completed 11000 homes with the help of 7000 Irish and South African volunteers in communities across the country. They have also created employment for over 2000 people in the local townships.
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SA Companies doing Green Business (Enviroadmin - Oct '11)
Green Companies in South Africa are introducing a new industry standard for Brand building to deliver real value to customers who in turn can pass this benefit to their customers and ultimately consumer South Africa. Steven Isaacson, joint CEO of Kevro, the largest and leading corporate clothing and promotional gifting wholesaler in Africa, rejected over 50 000 products to launch a South African first environmentally compliant and child safe gifting range that is both safe for consumers and the environment.
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Volkswagen South Africa introduces BlueMotion Technologies - Kinder to the Environment (Enviroadmin - Mar '11)
In a world where environmental issues have become everyone’s concern, it’s important that we all do our bit to be kinder to the environment. New BlueMotion Technologies from Volkswagen, now available for the first time in South Africa, is designed to help you do just that. The rest is up to you. The real benefit of BlueMotion lies in the sum of its parts. With a host of changes, improvements and new technologies, BlueMotion vehicles can deliver up to a 10% reduction in fuel and emissions - depending on individual driving style. Over time, every bit counts. That’s the heart of the BlueMotion ‘Think Blue’ brand philosophy – not only a commitment to be kinder to the planet, but also the perfect embodiment of Volkswagen’s goal to be the most responsible and innovative volume car brand in the world.
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Woolworths joins global efforts to promote sustainable palm oil (LiquidLingo Communications - Mar '11)
Woolworths has become the first South African company to become a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a global organisation which has developed a set of standards that address the legal, economic, environmental and social requirements of producing sustainable palm oil. Around the world, more palm oil is produced than any other vegetable oil. It’s found in everything from food products to toiletries and cosmetics. Worldwide, some 47 million tons of palm oil are used annually. Currently, the majority of palm oil – over 80% – is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia. Oil palm is grown most often on newly cleared rainforest or peat-swamp forests rather than on already degraded or abandoned agricultural land, something the RSPO is closely monitoring and working to end. In both countries, the number of critically endangered and threatened land mammals – most notably the orangutan -- has increased significantly.
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King Shaka International Airport: An Environmental Success Story (NCC website - '11)
The King Shaka International Airport was one of the most high profile and costly construction projects ever undertaken in KwaZulu Natal. It was also the first green-fields airport project undertaken by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). But from the start, the bigger spotlight was on completing the airport in advance of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Programme deadlines were tight, but meeting them wouldn’t happen at the expense of environmental controls. NCC was appointed as Environmental Manager for the Ilembe EPC Joint Venture and Environmental Officer for the Illembe Civils Joint Venture. Responsibilities in these roles encompassed managing, monitoring and implementing Environmental Authorisations and the Construction Environmental Management Plan and ensuring compliance with other relevant environmental legislation.
The client had a strong commitment to implementing world class environmental practices in every aspect of development. NCC partners were hands-on in meeting daily challenges, backed by the expertise of 7 specialists in various environmental disciplines.
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The Gold Fields Environmental Education Centre (National Botanical Gardens website)
The Gold Fields Environmental Education Centre, located at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (Cape Town) offers a range of programmes for teachers and learners, including environmental education workshops, guided school visits to the Gardens and outreach to schools. Its aim is to use the Botanical Gardens and resources of the National Botanical Institute (NBI) to inspire and enable people to take responsibility for their environment.
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Colourful ‘green' bags from Sandton City (Bizcommunity.com - Jan '10)
Sandton City's fabric ‘hanging banners', featuring the vibrant advertising from the centre's previous promotions and campaigns, have now been re-used and designed into chic shoppers. While these bags are 'green', they flaunt a rainbow of colours in swirls, blocks, text and stripes. As fabric features designs from a variety of promotions and marketing campaigns, each one is special.
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HSBC SOS Ennerdale Permaculture food garden project (Food & Trees for Africa website)
HSBC formed a partnership with Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) in 2007 and has since supported the development of a food garden in Orange Farm, Trees for Homes for staff birthdays in Alexandra, contributed to the greening of communities and has offset their carbon emissions for the British and Irish Lions tour in South Africa through the National Tree Distribution Programme.
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Unlimited Group Address Climate Change in Smartie Town (Food & Trees for Africa website)
Fruits Unlimited, part of the Unlimited Group, completed their baseline carbon footprint in 2007. They offset this baseline footprint by greening colourful Smartie Town through the planting of 204 Trees for Homes through Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA).
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Bona-Lesedi Disability school receives help from Wesbank (Food & Trees for Africa website)
WesBank, South Africa’s leading asset financier, has been working with national greening, climate change action and food gardening social enterprise Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) since 2006.
In 2008 they took an interest in the Soweto Greening project towards 2010 where FTFA is trying to get 200 000 Trees for Homes distributed to the residents to ensure a greener, more attractive and healthier environment in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
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Nashua Mobile's e-billing Drive Raises Over R55k For FTFA in First Two Months (Food & Trees for Africa website)
Nashua Mobile is donating R55,700 to FTFA for the months of April and May in line with its promise to donate R10 to the organisation for every one of its subscribers who opt to receive electronic bills rather than paper-based statements for their monthly accounts. During April, 164 Nashua Mobile staff members as well as 2620 subscribers made the switch to electronic billing. In May, Nashua Mobile managed to convert an additional 2780 customers to e-mail billing.
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Backsberg leads wine industry in combating climate change (Food & Trees for Africa website)
Backsberg is the first wine producer in South Africa, and one of only three in the world, to gain Carbon Neutral status by sequestrating its carbon emissions. In 2007 Backsberg won the Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award for Energy Efficiency and Carbon Management! Proprietor, Michael Back, who joined the family business in 1976, is passionate about the environment, believing that each generation is the custodian of the land for a short time only.
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