We are a growing community uniting for a more prosperous future for all South Africans by catalysing support for safer, cleaner and cheaper energy where no one is left behind.
FOR LIFE, BEYOND FOSSIL FUELS
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FOR LIFE, BEYOND FOSSIL FUELS ·
WElcome to FFSA
Welcome to Fossil Free South Africa! The most destructive industry in South Africa is the fossil fuel industry. Yet, sadly, most South Africans continue to believe it is indispensable.
To truly fulfil the promises of our Constitution, we need to stop investing in and supporting this industry and accelerate reinvestment in sustainable energy and an economy that supports true social and ecological development.
We aim to show why fossil fuels are now obsolete, to stigmatise their ongoing use, accelerate sustainable system change, and help slow climate change.
Fossil Free South Africa was legally established as a voluntary association in early 2015, born from a campaign by alumni, students and academics to persuade the University of Cape Town to stop investing in fossil fuels, a campaign that finally succeeded in 2022.
WHAT WE DO
1. Catalysing climate action through finance advocacy
Many of us are investing in the biggest agents of climate change – fossil fuel companies. Our Future We Want campaign is trying to change that by engaging with citizens as investors and shareholders to use their personal investments, shares and voices as leverage to challenge financial support for fossil fuels. This is done through building public support for engagements with asset managers to provide fossil-fuel free investment options for the many who want them. We’ve already helped set up one low carbon fund in South Africa, and it’s performed well for three years.
2. Building social licence for a Just Transition by challenging greenwashing and fossil fuel advertising
The fossil fuel industry relies on PR and advertising for its continued social licence to operate. We are challenging this through our Fossil Ad Ban campaign which works towards municipal, regional and national bans on fossil fuel advertising, while growing grassroots awareness on the material impacts of fossil fuels and greenwashing. Our Clean Creatives South Africa campaign also asks agencies and creatives to pledge to cut ties with the fossil fuel industry – and now has over 1400 agencies and 2500 creatives who won’t take on work tied to fossil fuels.
Photograph by Tam Wilson (Itchy Digital)
3. Mobilising universities for climate leadership
We are building student and academic support for universities to lead publicly on climate action that supports a human-rights based Just Transition. What started out as a divestment movement that led the University of Cape Town to commit to stop investing in fossil fuels has grown into a broader campus climate movement of which divestment is only one part. We work closely with student organisations at the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University, and we’re reigniting our work at the University of the Western Cape, University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand.
4. Developing resources that help build a social licence for a Just Transition to renewables
We create resources and strategic media to explain and share our vision. This includes our Planet A Investment Guide that helps people make climate-responsible investment decisions, and our Climate Reporting Guide, supporting journalists and communicators responsibly reporting on the climate crisis.
