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The emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) have significant influence on the global economic and environmental trajectories. They have carbon intensive economic systems, which contribute significantly to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, leading to climate change. However, BRICS have joined the race to net-zero emissions by 2050 in the quest for a climate neutral and sustainable global economy. The journey, however, is not without challenges and opportunities. The proliferation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had mixed reactions from scientists regarding its implications on net-zero trajectories. While statistical data show a correlation between COVID-19 and a decrease in total emissions, it is envisaged that COVID-19 compromised the efforts to develop carbon neutral economies. Hence, there is still need for more scientific examination of COVID-19's impact on net-zero ambitions, especially in the emerging economies. This study focuses on India and South Africa's trajectories. Statistical analysis of secondary data from authentic interactive web-based dashboards for COVID-19 data repositories, namely Our World in Data and Climate Action Tracker was performed in conjunction with the document analysis approach following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. Some of the COVID-19 challenges as indicated by the results of the study include curtailing the technology transfer staircase in the energy sector, retaliatory emissions for recovery and resource diversion. The opportunities presented by COVID-19 in the quest for carbon neutrality include behavioural changes in investment, production and consumption patterns with a focus on low carbon options. Governments and stakeholders need to focus on addressing the barriers whilst riding on the opportunities presented by the pandemic to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domestication of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been progressing in various countries across the world. Five years into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that embraces 17 inseparable SDGs, this study documents how South Africa has been domesticating the SDGs. The study uses a mixed-method approach that includes a survey and interviews as well as critical discourse and document analysis. It emerges that South Africa has taken reasonable steps to domesticate and implement the SDGs with the hope of meeting many of the targets in 2030. The study demonstrates that there are SDG-aligned initiatives based on the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030, some of which were in existence prior to the 2030 Agenda. The intersection between the NDP Vision 2030 and the SDGs saw South Africa continuing with many existing initiatives while seeking to enhance alignment of those initiatives with the 2030 Agenda. At the same time, the study also reveals that South Africa has put in place institutional mechanisms to implement the SDGs, although these have taken longer than planned to be finalised. Even now, there remains uncertainty regarding separate funding for the SDGs, as currently funding is provided mainly through the NDP Vision 2030 government programming. This article recommends continued alignment and further domestication of the SDGs, especially at the provincial and local government levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Agreementʼs nationally determined contributions (NDCs) provide an excellent point of entry to simultaneously address climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study sets out to explore the connections between climate action plans (NDCs) and each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we used four levels of visibility, that is, present, generic, implied and absent to provide a broad perspective of the extent to which South Africaʼs NDC is aligned with the targets of the SDGs. Our results revealed that South Africaʼs NDC has 12% present level of visibility to the SDG targets, with SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 13 Climate Action showing the highest representation of present level of visibility. By contrast, the absent level of visibility NDC showed 53% in the SDG targets, with SDG 5 Gender Equity, SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and SDG 3 Good Health and Well‐Being, showing the highest representation of absent level of visibility. These results indicate that there is scope to improve the alignment of South Africaʼs NDCs with the SDG targets. To this end, we have identified areas that may benefit with further elaboration in the countryʼs second NDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion has become a common feature in certain national parks across the global biomes, and national parks in the Savanna biome of South Africa have not been spared. Given their prominence in hosting large land mammals that contribute significantly to the tourism sector, the vulnerability of the parks to soil erosion merits attention. This study examines soil erosion status in the Savanna biome national parks of South Africa to recommend management practices aligned with the degree of erosion susceptibility. The results show that erosion rates across the national parks range between 0 and 25 t/ha/yr, and only a few have soil loss rates above 25 t/ha/yr. The Kgalagadi National Park has the lowest erosion rates, with a water erosion severity index (ESI) of 0. The Kruger and Mokala National Parks have low erosion rates, with an ESI of 0.017 and 0.01, respectively. The Mapungubwe National Park has moderate rates of soil loss, with an ESI of 0.023, while Marakele has the highest rates of soil erosion, with an ESI of 0.39. Soil erosion by water action is generally a minor environmental threat for the Kgalagadi, Kruger and Mokala National Parks. However, for Mapungubwe, soil erosion has a moderate threat, while in Marakele, it imposes a very high threat level. The different rates of soil erosion are attributed to the heterogeneous biophysical conditions of the Savanna biome, as well as different historical land use patterns across the parks. Climate change could be exacerbating the susceptibility of national parks to soil erosion. Park-specific management strategies that consider historical land use patterns and biophysical conditions within a climate change context are recommended. • Soil erosion in Savanna South African national parks range between 0 and 25 t ha−1 yr−1. • Erosion severity is lowest in Kgalagadi National Park (ESI = 0). • Erosion severity is highest in Marakele National Park (ESI = 0.39). • The Kruger, Mokala and Mapungubwe have low to moderate erosion rates. • The heterogeneous biophysical conditions and historical land use influence erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gradual reorientation of the global economy towards accommodation of the idea of sustainable development has brought new thinking in terms of how corporates address issues pertaining to harmful carbon emissions that lead to global warming and in turn climate change. Hence, since 2007 a number of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) top 100 have joined the voluntary global Carbon Disclosure Project (now only known as the CDP) managed through the National Business Initiative. This initiative was partly occasioned by pressure from shareholders who wish to be associated with good environmental stewardship. The object of this paper was therefore to discover whether carbon disclosure, as a function of environmental and general disclosure, could be linked to share price movements of sampled JSE top 100 companies. The finding is that the share prices of companies that report voluntarily and participate on a regular or irregular basis in the CDP have experienced almost the same impact in terms of share price movements as a result of official disclosure of their carbon emissions. However, with the anticipated carbon tax implementation in 2014, the CDP report of 2013 demonstrated share price movement impact affecting participating companies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel is produced from a range of feedstock including oil seeds (canola/rape and soya beans), as well as used cooking oil. This is done by converting the oil to methyl esters in a transesterification process that yields glycerine as one of the by-products. Biodiesel production is largely dependent on the policy and the institutional framework put in place by host economies. This paper examines the institutional and regulatory frameworks established in leading biodiesel producing countries and compares them to the situation in South Africa. It also analyses the interactions of biodiesel industry players at government and producer levels to ascertain the degree of economic viability of proposed and current projects against legislation. There are two broad findings that the paper brings to the fore. Firstly, policy regime and regulatory frameworks have been essential ingredients in the promulgation of biodiesel in the energy mix. Biodiesel policies have been driven by market expansion and technological change. Secondly, functional institutions are key enablers in the production and distribution of biodiesel. A key lesson for South Africa is that it has to make a clear choice on which form of renewable energy to use, as uptake of the technology is mainly driven by subsidies and incentives which require huge capital injections. If South Africa embraces the subsidy route it needs to come up with a policy that can survive the post-subsidy era. More importantly, South Africa needs to find a way that will make the costs of biodiesel competitive when compared to fossil fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Readiness! This is a concept interchanged with preparedness and, many assume, adequate knowledge. Simple as it may be, readiness denotes a complex interaction of parameters and conditionalities required for an uptake of a phenomenon – in the context of this article, green economy transition. Following deliberations to and from Rio + 20, there is no doubt the world is set to undertake green economy as a means to attaining sustainable development, poverty eradication, job creation and equity evermore. At the heart of the green economy is the need to address negative impacts associated with one of the key global challenges of our epoch, climate change. The question this article seeks to address is: To what extent is South Africa green economy ready? Focusing on the national sphere of government, the article concludes that this country has moved swiftly in addressing key readiness parameters, including high-level commitment and stakeholder buy-in, enhancing institutional set-up, developing the necessary legislation, establishing funding mechanisms and having programmes running on the ground. However, more work is still needed in areas such as continued domestication of the understanding on green economy, addressing weak individual and institutional capacity, increasing funding, proliferation of policies, matching national to global interests on green economy, and the role of higher (including further) education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa surprised many when it pledged to reduce emissions by 34 per cent in 2020 and 42 per cent in 2025 a day before the Copenhagen Climate Summit of December 2009 (COP15). The position taken by South Africa was in conflict with that of the Africa Group. South Africa was also involved in crafting the Copenhagen Accord, a political agreement concluded outside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to address the interests of a few countries, including Brazil, China, India and the USA. Leading to COP16 in Cancún 2010, South Africa forged a tripartite alliance with Denmark and Mexico in order to push for a solid foundation for COP17, that took place in Durban in 2011. To tease out the thinking with regard to expectations for COP17, South Africa called for a wish list from negotiating parties that were meeting in Bonn in June 2011. The views that emerged from the Bonn meeting show that South Africa has a big challenge in bridging the gap between the developed and developing countries. This article analyses South Africa's role in climate negotiations with a view to presenting the challenges – from Copenhagen 2009, via Cancún 2010, to Durban 2011. The work also argues that being the host of COP17 implies that South Africa's role in climate negotiations was more focused on facilitation. The world expected a breakthrough in Durban, especially regarding the second Kyoto Protocol commitment period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]