Burning fossil fuels is adding so-called greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, to a blanket of heat-trapping pollution all over Earth. This increasing trapped heat causes ever-increasing floods, droughts, fires, extreme weather, sea-level rise and loss of wildlife.

Fossil fuel use now threatens the realisation of all of the Sustainable Development Goals.

South Africa is warming twice as fast as the global average, with widespread drought hurting farmers and the rural poor. Day Zero – no water – has hit 30 SA municipalities. 

For South Africa, climate change and continued fossil fuel dependence threaten to make all our existing problems, of inequality, crime, corruption, and food insecurity, even worse.

The UN Environment Programme says global carbon emissions reductions must be cut in half by 2030 for humanity to have a chance of reducing some of the worst possible climate outcomes. 

Fossil fuel companies have known about the climate problem for a very long time. Records show that their scientists predicted it. But instead of trying to solve the problem, they have sabotaged efforts to regulate carbon emissions, benefit from corrupt and inefficient subsidies, and despite many fine sounding promises, remain intent on burning their reserves of coal, gas and oil.

Too many governments and politicians have been corrupted by fossil fuel money or don’t understand that fossil fuels, despite enriching small elites, now cause more economic harm than good.

Asset managers and the financial services industry in South Africa continue to invest in the fossil fuel industry, perpetuating climate breakdown and threatening the future prosperity they promise their clients.