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United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell

UN climate chief calls for faster action as Bonn climate talks begin

Opening the UN’s mid-year climate talks in Bonn, Simon Stiell urged governments to focus on implementing climate commitments, warning that fossil fuel dependence was driving…

In recent years, research Wright and colleagues led has highlighted how prolonged heat exposure places outdoor workers, children, older people and low-income communities at increased risk of dehydration, heat stress, respiratory illness and other adverse health outcomes. The risks are expected to intensify as temperatures continue to rise. (Envato Elements)

SA launches first climate and health surveillance platform

The tool allows researchers and policymakers to track links between extreme weather, heatwaves, flooding and health outcomes

Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago announced on Thursday that the monetary policy committee had increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7%, effective from 29 May.

Reserve Bank hikes interest rate for first time since 2023 as oil shock, inflation risks mount

South African Reserve Bank raises interest rate to 7%, warning that oil shocks, food inflation and global instability could drive prices higher

Climate scenarios and models play a major role in shaping international policy.

Climate models failing to reflect inequality and Global South realities, study warns

Scientists say dominant climate and biodiversity models rely too heavily on existing economic systems and overlook inequality, Global South perspectives and Indigenous knowledge,…

More producers are starting to recognise that resilience now depends less on getting through a difficult season and more on building operations capable of absorbing repeated instability over longer periods. Photo: Lucas Ledwaba / Mukurukuru Media

Why resilience matters most in African agriculture now

African agriculture is entering a period where resilience will be determined heavily by access to capital and the ability to remain operational under unstable conditions that may…

A scene from the floods that killed more than 450 people in KwaZulu-Natal in April 2022 shows the damage. (Delwyn Verasamy)

Study: Linking climate change to health doubles support for public action

New research shows that health-based climate messaging significantly increases public support for government action, especially in South Africa where concern over children and…

From Doringbaai to Port Nolloth, West Coast communities are pushing back against mining and offshore oil and gas expansion.  (Liezl Human/Groundup)

‘No one asked us’: West Coast fishers oppose offshore oil and gas development

From Doringbaai to Port Nolloth, West Coast communities are pushing back against mining and offshore oil and gas expansion. Residents, activists and fishers say consultation…

Great white sharks, tuna and other warm-bodied fish burn nearly four times more energy than cold-blooded species, leaving them increasingly vulnerable as rising ocean temperatures shrink their habitats, a new study has found

Great white sharks and tuna face overheating risk as oceans warm

Great white sharks, tuna and other warm-bodied fish burn nearly four times more energy than cold-blooded species, leaving them increasingly vulnerable as rising ocean…

Qualified bird handlers fitting a satellite tracking device to a Curlew Sandpiper. Photo: BirdLife South Africa

Tiny birds, vast journeys: Inside SA’s first shorebird tracking project

BirdLife South Africa launches its first tracking project for migratory shorebirds, revealing complex journeys and new conservation priorities across the Africa–Eurasian flyway

Women are disproportionately affected by climate impacts and economic exclusion. Photo: David Harrison/M&G

Presidential Climate Commission outlines people-centred just transition for 2026–2030

Commissioners emphasise a people-centred just transition, focusing on rural communities, workers and climate-resilient economic planning

In recent years, research Wright and colleagues led has highlighted how prolonged heat exposure places outdoor workers, children, older people and low-income communities at increased risk of dehydration, heat stress, respiratory illness and other adverse health outcomes. The risks are expected to intensify as temperatures continue to rise. (Envato Elements)

Extreme heat is becoming Southern Africa’s defining climate and health threat, report warns

Extreme heat is no longer a future problem. A major new report warns it is intensifying inequality, illness and climate vulnerability across Southern Africa and the worst-hit are…

The Olifants River supports mining, agriculture, and commercial forestry, while also flowing through the Kruger National Park—South Africa’s largest protected area and a vital tourism drawcard. Photo: Wikipedia

Olifants River faces extreme warming by 2100, threatening fish and macroinvertebrates

New research projects the Olifants River in the Kruger National Park could reach daily water temperatures of 42–44°C by the end of the century under a high-emissions scenario,…

The KwaZulu-Natal province experienced a deadly series of natural disasters, exacerbated by heavy rains driven by inevitable climate change. Photo: X/KwaZulu-Natal government

Democracy should feed land hunger

It is shocking that a post-1994 dispensation, emerging from a colonial-apartheid liberation struggle whose core objective was the return of land, has presided over the increase…

Human-made chemicals have become woven into the chemistry of the ocean, a major new led by Jarmo-Charles Kalinski (above) study has found

Human-made chemicals embedded across global oceans, major study finds

A groundbreaking analysis of more than 2 300 seawater samples shows that industrial chemicals dominate ocean pollution signals, even far from land

In recent years, research Wright and colleagues led has highlighted how prolonged heat exposure places outdoor workers, children, older people and low-income communities at increased risk of dehydration, heat stress, respiratory illness and other adverse health outcomes. The risks are expected to intensify as temperatures continue to rise. (Envato Elements)

Urban heat hits poorest areas hardest, new street data shows

A new global platform maps urban heat at street level, showing how exposure is rising and falling disproportionately on poorer communities, while giving cities tools to test…

Superbugs are a big public health issue. So is climate change. Put the two together and the problem becomes even bigger. (Dylan Bush)
Video

Superbugs plus climate change equals double trouble. Here’s why

As the Earth becomes hotter, we’re seeing more floods and droughts. Flooding can make superbugs spread faster and further. And heat helps germs adapt faster

President Cyril Ramaphosa. (GCIS)

Climate change an existential threat, Ramaphosa says

President calls for urgent action to move South Africa’s just energy transition from commitment to delivery at the inaugural meeting of the reconstituted Presidential Climate…

Mineral and petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe. File Photo

‘King coal is back’, says Mantashe

The minister framed coal, not as a relic of the past, but as a critical driver of energy security, industrial activity and employment

Komati Power Station decommissioned after serving for 60 years. The shutdown took place on 31 October 2022. The power plant will be converted into a renewable generation site powered with 150MW of solar, 70MW of wind and 150MW of storage batteries.

UPDATED: Komati illustrates the human cost of South Africa’s energy transition

What should have been a model for climate action has become a cautionary tale of what happens when communities are excluded from decisions that reshape their lives

In Mpumalanga and Limpopo, the floods killed at least 38 people. The Kruger National Park was forced to close. (SANParks)

Climate change and La Niña drove deadly southern Africa floods, analysis finds

The intensity of heavy downpours has increased by 40% since pre-industrial times, with some areas receiving more than a year’s rain in just days