South Africa to host second G20 environment and climate meeting
The meeting will be held from 14-18 July at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park.
The ECSWG will facilitate high-level discussions on various critical topics, including biodiversity and conservation, climate change, land degradation, desertification and drought, chemicals and waste management, air quality, and ocean and coastal issues.
According to the department, this meeting will build on the progress made at the first virtual ECSWG meeting held in March and will focus on deepening collaboration within the priorities of the G20 ECSWG.
The DFFE is coordinating the ECSWG, ensuring alignment with South Africa's policy priorities and global sustainability commitments.
The key activities focused on promoting global cooperation for environmental sustainability.
This includes leading three ECSWG meetings, integrating sustainability discussions within G20 Working Groups, and collaborating with stakeholders and member states to achieve actionable results in climate finance, biodiversity, pollution management, and ocean governance.
The meeting at the Kruger National Park forms part of a series of three ECSWG engagements hosted by South Africa during its G20 Presidency.
The meeting will bring together over 250 delegates, including representatives from G20 member states, invited countries, international organisations, government officials, and the media.
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, will launch G20 legacy projects at the second technical meeting of the ECSWG.
The launch of the G20 legacy project, Rhino Renaissance Campaign, will demonstrate conservation efforts in fighting wildlife crime.
This will include a live demonstration of the dehorning of rhino process to be administered by the world-acclaimed South African National Parks Veterinary Services in the presence of the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, and a selected group of delegates.
The leaders will also embark on the G20 tree planting activity, a symbolic tree planting ceremony of 20 trees, one for each G20 member, outside the Nombolo Mdluli Conference Centre.
'This initiative forms part of South Africa's National Greening Programme, which aims to plant 10 million trees over five years. It is a bold step toward addressing the Presidential imperatives on greening,' the statement read.
The leaders will also announce the school essay winners.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
South Africa launches ambitious campaign to save its dwindling rhino population
The Rhino Renaissance Campaign launch is one of South Africa's G20 Legacy Projects. It aims to rebuild the white rhino population in Kruger National Park (KNP) from just over 2,000 to 12,000 within the next decade. Image: File South Africa is the custodian of more than 80% of the continent's white rhino population, which is at risk from poaching and a dwindling population. Dr Dion George, MP and minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), remarked on Tuesday at the Rhino Renaissance Campaign launch. The campaign, one of South Africa's G20 Legacy Projects, aims to rebuild the white rhino population in the Kruger National Park (KNP) from just over 2,000 to 12,000 within the next decade. Annual statistics revealed that 195 rhinos had been poached across South Africa by June 2025, a reduction of 35 compared to the same period in 2024. In KNP, 11 rhinos were killed in both May and June, down from 17 in January and 30 in February 2025. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'Once nearly extinct, the white rhino population stood at fewer than 100 individuals in the early 20th century. But South Africa acted. Through protected areas, community partnerships, and the hard work of rangers and conservationists, the species was brought back from the brink. By 2010, there were more than 20,000 white rhinos,' George said. The KNP is home to over 12,000 rhinos — an unmatched feat in global conservation. But since then, the tide has turned. 'As of 2024, the population has dropped to 14,389 nationwide. In Kruger, just over 2,000 remain. A significant part of the issue involves poaching and the trafficking of rhino horn, driven by organised crime and profit,' George warned. He said that the campaign led by the South African National Parks (SANParks) is a direct response to poaching and illegal rhino horn trade. 'It brings together SANParks' conservation authority with the Tracker Academy, part of the Peace Parks Foundation, whose work in training local trackers in ancestral skills is redefining what it means to protect wildlife,' George said. He also mentioned the Good Work Foundation, a non-profit transforming education for thousands of learners in the villages around Kruger through digital learning, conservation coding, and storytelling. He said that 90 rhino monitors will be trained and deployed annually across KNP. 'The Rhino Renaissance Campaign is a vital part of this effort. It supports our vision of a Fair Industry for Lions, Leopards, Elephants, and Rhinos — a future where these species are not only protected but thrive alongside the people who live among them,' George said. Other plans include: African Parks has relocated 2,000 rhinos to safe havens across the country. Munyawana Conservancy and others are growing populations through rewilding. Cross-border work is under way in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and across the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area. Safe havens have been identified in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana. Collaboration between the government and private wildlife owners in our Integrated Wildlife Zones has been enhanced. Pam Yako, SANParks Board chairperson, said rhinos are a species of global significance, and the campaign was a partnership with various stakeholders. 'We want to showcase our efforts and how best we can, with the help of everyone else, build a whole movement for the conservation of the species,' she said.
Daily Maverick
14 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Small-scale fishers stage nationwide protests against ‘unfair' policies
At the heart of the fishers' anger is the Fishing Rights Allocation Process — a system they say has long favoured large commercial operations, leaving small-scale operators with crumbs. South Africa's small-scale fishing communities have launched protests at harbours countrywide, demanding an urgent overhaul of SA's fishing rights regime and greater recognition of their traditional knowledge. The protests, which unfolded peacefully under police presence, brought into sharp relief the tensions between local livelihoods, marine conservation policies and what fishers call the unchecked dominance of big commercial trawlers. Earlier this month, the call went out for protesters to show up at 40 coastal sites with placards and hand-delivered letters carrying a common message: coastal communities feel abandoned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) under minister Dr Dion George. 'We know these waters' For Bridgette Oppelt, a fisher and community organiser from Mitchells Plain, the fight is personal and generational. 'Our coastline is rich — False Bay alone can feed so many of our families,' she said, standing at the entrance to Kalk Bay harbour, flanked by fellow fishers and law enforcement officers. 'But government policies shut us out, while commercial trawlers come right into our waters, hauling up everything, even fish that we're told are 'red-listed' and must be thrown back.' This is a long-standing issue that rankles small-scale fishers. They argue that they target specific species using traditional handline and trek-netting methods, which minimise bycatch fishing rights regime — the unintentional catch of non-target species. Large industrial trawlers, by contrast, deploy massive nets and longlines that scoop up all marine life in their path. Fish that do not meet market demand are dumped at sea — a practice fishers say is not only wasteful but deeply unjust in a country where fishing is both livelihood and heritage. 'Since my grandfather's time, we have known when to fish, where to fish and when to stop,' said Val Arendse, a veteran trek-netter with more than two decades of experience. 'Scientists who sit in offices can't tell me there's no fish when we see the shoals ourselves. We need them to come out to sea with us, see what we see.' 'It's our birthright' At the heart of the fishers' anger is the Fishing Rights Allocation Process (Frap) — a system they say has long favoured large commercial operations, leaving small-scale operators with crumbs. Oppelt explains: 'Before small-scale rights were recognised, the quotas were all allocated to big companies. Now, even with cooperatives, our people are getting 33 kilos each, while commercial boats get tonnes. And this coastline — it's our birthright — has been closed off to us for nearly 20 years.' Community members say they must now travel far beyond their home harbours to access fish, which increases costs and puts their small boats and crews at risk. Meanwhile, foreign-owned vessels and even Johannesburg-based companies — far from the communities who rely on the sea daily — continue to profit. 'Why must we go all the way to Mossel Bay when there is plenty of fish in False Bay?' asked Kalk Bay fisher Kobus Poggenpoel. 'And why does a company registered in Joburg have a quota for our coast? We live here. This ocean feeds us.' Call for dialogue The protests follow months of what communities describe as stonewalling by the DFFE. The Fishers' Movement for Change (FMFC), a national umbrella group for small-scale and indigenous fishing communities, said it formally requested a high-level meeting in early June to address what it called an escalating crisis in the sector. When no concrete response came by the agreed deadline, the FMFC announced nationwide mobilisation. 'When government ignores the people's call, the people will rise to reclaim their voice and their rights,' read a statement issued by FMFC liaison officer Brett Lucian Arendze. Protest leaders say they have repeatedly asked for dialogue but feel Minister George is hiding behind his predecessor's mistakes, ignoring the urgent need to revisit outdated allocations of fishing rights and species lists. 'Disruption and intimidation' George's office responded to the protests with concern, warning that threats to block roads and disrupt harbour operations would not be tolerated. In a media statement last week, the DFFE described the protests as 'disruption and intimidation', which harmed the very communities they claimed to represent. 'Government cannot and will not allow public roads or national infrastructure to be obstructed,' said the minister, adding that any disputes over fishing rights must be resolved through legal appeals, not street protests. The police presence at every harbour has underscored the government's insistence that operations continue as normal. Fishers say the law enforcement shows how quick the government is to protect harbours for commercial interests and tourism — and how slowly it moves when it comes to real conversations about rights and livelihoods. As Oppelt put it: 'They think we're hooligans. But we are fishers. We are not criminals.' The department's reply The DFFE has pointed to what it describes as major upgrades at South Africa's 12 proclaimed fishing harbours, with more than 15 sites receiving new safety, security, and infrastructure improvements over the past year. 'These harbours are more than physical structures. They are the engine rooms of local economies,' said George recently. He praised the revitalisation programme as an investment in coastal communities, with upgrades ranging from new signage to round-the-clock surveillance and the removal of abandoned vessels. But to many fishers, these upgrades miss the point. 'You can build us a beautiful harbour,' said Pedro Garcia, a community leader in St Helena Bay, 'but what good is it if we have no boats, no access to the fish and no say in how the ocean is managed? Infrastructure without fair rights is useless.' Local knowledge Fishers argue that traditional, local knowledge must be brought back to the centre of decision-making. 'They pay people with university degrees to come and tell us how the ocean works,' says Arendse. 'We are the ones risking our lives out there. We know the seasons. We know when to stop so that fish stocks recover. If they would just sit around the table with us — all stakeholders under one roof — we could fix this.' Some fishers even invited the minister to join them on the water. 'Come fishing with us,' said Arendse with a wry smile. 'Sit in your luxury car if you want, but you'll learn more at sea than any report on your desk.' As the protests rippled from harbour to harbour, it's clear that the small-scale fishing sector feels unseen and unheard. Many fear that if their calls for fairer access, proper consultation and a re-examination of quotas go unanswered, more coastal families will be forced into illegal fishing simply to survive, feeding a cycle of criminalisation. For now, the doors remain open for dialogue. 'It is not for us to remind government of their obligations,' said Garcia. 'It is for government to remember who they serve. We want to fish, we want to feed our families, and we want to do it the right way. But they must meet us halfway.' DM
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
Python on the M19: Dramatic rescue scares South Africans
A routine snake sighting call turned into an incredible wildlife encounter when renowned KwaZulu-Natal-based snake rescuer Nick Evans came face-to-face with a African rock python near the M19 highway in New Germany, stunning residents and social media followers alike. Initially sceptical about the reported species, Evans was surprised upon arrival to find a 3.3 to 3.5-metre-long python basking in the sun – a rare sight in this urban area. 'I didn't expect to find a python here. It's not typical of the area,' Evans said. What followed was a dramatic rescue. As Evans cautiously approached, the powerful snake sprang into action, forcing him to grab it by the tail to prevent it from disappearing into the bush. With the assistance of his colleague Joseph, the duo managed to restrain the snake safely. Evans suspects the python did not come from the nearby New Germany Nature Reserve, speculating that it may have hitched a ride on a truck and ended up near the highway. Following the successful rescue, the python was released into a safe, undisclosed location. Evans expressed gratitude for the swift assistance from the local municipality and emphasised the importance of public cooperation and awareness when it comes to snake sightings. 'This is why trained rescuers are crucial. Without care and experience, situations like this could end tragically – for the snake or people,' he added. This dramatic rescue not only highlighted the unpredictable nature of wildlife interactions in urban settings, but also served as a reminder of the value of conservation efforts and wildlife education in South Africa. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
