Ecological Justice

The economy of the Southern African region is deeply rooted in an extractive development model. Economic alternatives including those that recognise the limits of growth, are not considered relevant to the region’s context given the high levels of poverty and unemployment. Economic policy is devised in accordance with aggregate economic indicators, which fail to account for environmental degradation, health and livelihood costs, and unpaid care work. Our work promotes the advancement of development paradigms, which recognize the equitable distribution of economic and natural resources while safeguarding and protecting an ecological balance. Crucial to this work is environmental justice, particularly in the struggles of communities affected by mining activities and air pollution. Our work in energy democracy supports research and advocacy in the renewable energy, fossil fuels and nuclear energy space. Through strong partnerships and alliances with civil society actors across the development spectrum, we are able to advance a collective approach to ecological and social justice. A just development paradigm must be realized if people and communities are to envision a society which values ecological justice.

E Paper: Could Geogenic ('white') Hydrogen contribute to the Energy Transition?

E-Paper

The past few years have seen significant excitement about the role 'Green' hydrogen could play in decarbonising economies. More recently, interest in geogenic or 'white' hydrogen - naturally occurring hydrogen found in geological formations. This publication provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on geogenic hydrogen and its potential role.

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amsa-decarbonisation_policy-brief-06-nov-24

Producing Green Steel: an option to decarbonise Arcelormittal South Africa (AMSA)?

The policy brief introduces basic concepts around the complexities of steelmaking, including why it has historically been seen as ‘hard to abate’ in terms of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from steel production. It aims to provide a non-technical commentary on AMSA’s Decarbonisation Roadmap suitable for frontline communities and the NGOs they work with to understand and engage with the plans.

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Cutting Corners? The International Best Practice Safety Upgrades not implemented as part of Koeberg's lifetime extension

Over the past decades, significant safety improvements have been made to nuclear plants as lessons from nuclear accidents have been integrated into reactor design. These are so significant that, France now considers older plants - identical to SA's Koeberg - to be unsafe. Consequently, in extending the life of these plants, France is undertaking significant safety improvements. As public hearings into the life extension of Koeberg get underway, we ask: how do France's upgrades compare to those being implemented by Koeberg?

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