Voting on Standard Bank’s climate-risk resolution will be a telling barometer
If the disclosure regulation is rejected, it means we still don’t take the planet’s devastation seriously
Now that the elections are over, investor attention has turned to the economy and the steps needed to set SA on track for significant growth to tackle poverty and unemployment. But what kind of growth is SA choosing to pursue? All signs are that most policymakers and business leaders still believe expansion based on the extraction and consumption of ever more fossil fuels will solve the country’s problems. This belief is not only wrong, but also sets SA up for ruinous social and economic consequences. In recent months the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) and the intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services (Ipbes) have released reports that should have shattered global complacency about the need to change how economies work. The IPCC warned that even if emissions are reduced as fast as possible, temperature rises are unlikely to be kept below 1.5°C, and that increases above 1.5°C will have unprecedented global impacts. The lea...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.