South Africa vows relentless fight against plastic pollution amid global treaty setback
In a statement, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said talks collapsed due to deep divisions between nations and the absence of a clear process to resolve the deadlock.
The department said South Africa is disappointed by the outcome and concerned about the procedural failings that stalled progress, but its resolve remains unshaken.
The country remains committed to advancing domestic and international action to combat plastic pollution and create a practical, sustainable regulatory framework.
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Dr Dion George, has engaged with industry, business, and civil society to drive progress on the circular economy and will continue advocating for solutions at the G20 Ministerial Meeting scheduled to take place in Cape Town in October.
'While the lack of agreement is frustrating, South Africa will not waver in our fight to end plastic pollution and create a fair, practical regulatory environment. We will keep driving action at home and pressing for solutions abroad,' the minister said.
South Africa is already moving to ban microbeads and phase out single-use plastics. These steps reflect a proactive strategy to reduce environmental and health risks.
During the INC, the Minister met with South African industry, business, and civil society to strengthen partnerships for a circular economy.
'Collaboration with all stakeholders is vital. We must build a system where sustainable practices are the norm, not the exception," George said.
South Africa opposed rigid caps on plastic production, calling instead for market-driven solutions backed by incentives to push business toward sustainability.
The country is also acting to close gaps in controls on imported plastics, ensuring they meet strict health and environmental standards.
The minister warned about toxic chemicals in plastics and the spread of microplastics into food systems and human bodies.
'It is unacceptable that microplastics are found everywhere, including in our bodies. We will act decisively to protect public health,' he said.
South Africa's extended producer responsibility regulations and the 'polluter pays' principle are already holding producers to account for the full life cycle of their products.
'Our EPR framework is a cornerstone of our strategy, and we will keep strengthening it,' the minister said.
The fight against plastic pollution continues.
In October 2025, South Africa will host the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial in Cape Town, where plastics, waste, and chemicals will remain high on the agenda.
South Africa will keep working at home and with global partners to secure a meaningful, inclusive plastics treaty that protects our planet and future generations.
All rights reserved. © 2022. Bizcommunity.com Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
30 minutes ago
- Zawya
Sankofa Events, Paul Sinclair & Hyve Events Sued for Misrepresentation
Sankofa Events Limited and Paul Sinclair have been added to a court case brought by the African Energy Chamber (AEC) ( to the High Court of the Republic of South Africa against Hyve Events SA Limited. The Edictal Citation application was granted, were Sankofa Events and Paul Sinclair will be joined in an action for damages arising from misrepresentation, unlawful completion and false marketing. This serves as an official legal notice for the respondents, as the court believes there is a strong case for misrepresentation – a serious allegation and one that brings significant impacts for the African energy industry. Sankofa Events Limited and Paul Sinclair have been added to the case for their role in providing false statements and misleading information regarding the upcoming Africa Oil Week (AOW): Energy conference. The event – which has moved to Accra, Ghana for its 31 st edition – has been the product of numerous misleading statements, press releases and communications, particularly surrounding its participants and the topics of discussion. A notable example is information published by AOW: Energy's official communication channels related to the participation by Equatorial Guinea's state-owned oil corporation GEPetrol. Information shared outlined references to technical presentations, one-on-one meetings and the promotion of new licenses by the corporation. Information was not provided, authorized or validated by GEPetrol. This level of misrepresentation is aimed at enticing delegates to participate and is not an accurate reflection of the event itself. As such, the AEC – representing the voice of the African energy sector – is suing Sankofa Events Limited and Paul Sinclair in Ghana from South Africa, as they recognize the damages that this level of misrepresentation has on stakeholders across the continent. Sankofa Events Limited and Paul Sinclair are required to legally participate in the case as they have been officially brought into this serious lawsuit. The respondents are granted 30 days from the date of service in their country to enter appearance to oppose the Joinder Application. The case comes at a pivotal time for the African energy industry and its importance cannot be overstated. At a time when the global energy sector is divided on key issues such as the energy transition and hydrocarbon investment, Africa requires a unified voice. With over 600 million people living without access to electricity across the continent and over 900 million living without access to clean cooking solutions in Africa, there has never been a more pressing time to come together, address challenges and advance development. Yet, organizations such as Sankofa Events Limited and individuals such as Paul Sinclair use platforms such as AOW: Energy to advance their own agendas. Rather than prioritizing Africa's needs, these parties continuously demonstrate their resolve to attracting investment for person gains. Through misrepresentation, the parties seek to attract capital and people to their event, regardless of the fact that they will not deliver on their promises. This limits productivity, disrupts meaningful progress to address key energy challenges and impacts the continent's efforts to make energy poverty history. 'The court case brought by the AEC seeks to make Sankofa Events Limited and Paul Sinclair accountable for their actions. Africa deserves more than organizations and individuals who prioritize their own wants over the need of the continent. The AEC stands in full support of the continent and will remain committed to protecting the interests of its people,' states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
This UAE-based business is teaching kids financial literacy and entrepreneurship one treat at a time
Success has never been an easy goal to conquer. Today, working hard is not enough. Neither is working smarter. It's more a dance of shifting skillsets, gathering information quickly, presenting an articulate argument that supports your opinion, and crafting a presentation that cannot be ignored. As we race into a future that's more digital and fast-paced than before, it's more important than ever to build a generation with the perspective to navigate the artificial intelligence (AI)-steeped waters of tomorrow. For which, we must first teach kids the rules of the world and then give them perspective enough to see outside the box. Traditional teaching methods won't cut it; if the learning is new age, so must the method of education be. And that's perhaps why the UAE-based Snack Troops challenge works so well. It's an initiative spearheaded by dad and primary-teacher-turned-life-coach Adam Zargar, who spoke to wknd. about the programme that aims to foster financial literacy and entrepreneurship in school-going kids. The way it works is simple: 'We've got snacks — cookies and healthy bite-sized snacks. It's kind of like two little brands that we've created,' says Adam. Depending on the challenge the school has accepted, kids who sign up are given hampers (for free). 'The kids then have three weeks to sell as many hampers as they can. Each hamper has 12 packets. The school's profits from the challenge goes to their chosen charity.' 'Our year five and six in Gems Founders took part in the Snack Troops challenge, selling their brand's Cookie Cubs cookies and sampling entrepreneurship from an early age. The school's profits were given to charity, and selling for a good cause gave the students purpose and boosted their confidence. I recommend the challenge to any UAE-based school. The support I was given to run it was exceptional,' says Jade Kelly, assistant head of Gems Founders School, Dubai. The result: a young, charismatic group of go-getters who are ready to make arguments for the sake of their sales, do some basic book-keeping, and even learn how to cope with rejection. 'People in secondary school may be teaching kids these skills, but it's not done so much at a primary level. All of this [exercise helps with] confidence building, problem-solving, grit, resilience,' he says. Adam explains that building confidence is key to success and there's no better way than real life experience to help you do it. 'We know from some of the testimonials, some of the kids have gone in, super shy, really nervous to start with, and then over time, they become super confident sellers. And they come up with some creative ways to sell,' he says. The initiative echoes the tradition of kids selling treats to familiar grown-ups — remember girl and boy scouts? But, of course, in the UAE we do things a little differently. For one thing, in keeping with the UAE government's drive to make its residents and citizens healthier, the goodies being sold are generally healthy. 'The healthy snacks are lunchbox-friendly, healthy. My kids love it,' says Adam. (The cookies are a treat; schools pick the product they want sold.) For all the initiative they are expected to show, they are not left to their own devices. 'We give schools lesson plans that are co-created with teachers,' explains Adam. 'The programme hits a lot of the targets for outstanding schools. We've got about 12 lesson plans that the schools can do. It's optional, but we provide that,' he says. Once the participating schools have signed up (and gotten approval from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority), they must also identify the charity they may want to give their profit to. The use of barcodes and apps (each school has its own) to monitor the sales and receipts ensures that the selling challenge remains fair and transparent. Those who sell the most hampers during the challenge period win rewards such as 'a hotel stay from one of our sponsors (Rove hotel)' plus 'theme park tickets'. 'Those who came in second and third as well as the winning class teacher have in the past received gift experience vouchers from another sponsor — Besides the major awards, there are weekly prizes as well to keep the kiddos hooked and planning. 'They get healthy skewers, or they get healthy Pizza Express pizzas (another sponsor). They may also get board games. EmiratesNBD Finwell — our lead sponsor, which also offered schools free parent literacy workshops — has been fantastic,' he adds, recalling sponsors who have been helping the initiative along. The metrics of success are changing today; the conventional model has become redundant. Add to that, the fact that Generation Alpha has easy financial accessibility — according to a Mastercard report, 94 per cent of Gen Alpha members have a bank account and many use digital wallets, invest, and own credit cards — and we must add financial agility to the skillsets they need to build. Step one: learn about financial literacy. Step two: get comfortable with entrepreneurship. (In Dubai, the lessons come with cookies.)
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
South Africa: Committee Chairperson on Economic Development Welcomes Minister's Decision to Dissolve South African (SA) Tourism Board
The Select Committee on Economic Development and Trade has noted the Minister's decision to dissolve the entire board of SA Tourism. The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Sonja Boshoff, said that when such decisions are taken, they should always be aimed at improving governance within government entities. She said: 'The committee is satisfied that the Minister acted on sound legal advice in arriving at her decision, which the committee notes and welcomes. The role of this entity is even more crucial given the geopolitical ructions that the country currently faces.' Ms Boshoff further stated that it would be ideal for a new board to be appointed without delay, and she stressed that the absence of a board should not disrupt the programmes of SA Tourism. Minister Patricia de Lille announced on Wednesday that she had decided to dissolve the board with immediate effect. The Minister said the board had failed to show cause in addressing the legality of the procedure it followed when convening a special meeting on 1 August—against her advice—wherein an unlawful resolution was taken. 'As the shareholder, one expects that the Minister's counsel on such matters should be regarded and respected by entities under her portfolio,' Ms Boshoff said. Ms Boshoff added that the committee will continue to exercise effective oversight over the entity. 'We want to see improved performance from SA Tourism, not meaningless meetings and international trips. Small role players within the sector must benefit meaningfully from the work and programmes of SA Tourism. We do not want redundancy and duplication of work already being done by the Department of Tourism.' Ms Boshoff called on the Minister to act with speed to stabilise the entity so that it can focus on restoring South Africa's image among international tourists. 'South Africa must be a destination of choice for international travellers. There is nothing they cannot find in this beautiful country of ours,' she concluded. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
