Fossil Free SA has just launched a campaign called Climate Hope to share a host of little-known truths about the best ways of ensuring a stable climate and a future in which we can all flourish.

The facts of Climate Hope, all backed by reputable research, are that a cleaner, greener future is well within reach.

“We can’t close down the coal industry, or jobs will be lost. In fact, we need more coal.”

This myth has been promoted for years by politicians including our Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and the coal industry.

‍But the consensus from energy experts is that renewable energy creates far more jobs than coal, oil and gas – almost three times as many, one study finds.

Clean air to breathe and safe drinking water are surely the most basic of human needs.

But members of the KwaZuka coal-facing community in Mpumalanga told our Fossil Ad Ban (FAB) campaigners at recent workshops how acid mine drainage is seeping into their drinking water and the areas where their children play.

Are South African parliamentarians investing through their pension funds in coal, oil, and gas companies, the primary drivers of climate breakdown?

Are they investing in companies that supply arms and commodities to regimes known to be abusing human rights? Fossil Free SA and Open Secrets are seeking answers to these questions.

Alkemi Collective has become Africa’s first creative agency to endorse the Fossil Ad Ban (FAB) campaign, which calls for a nationwide ban on all coal, oil and gas advertisements in a bid to help address the climate crisis by shifting public perception.  

What does it mean to rub shoulders with Al Gore − and join the 67 000-strong group of activists in his Climate Reality Project? Two of our campaigners, Sandrine Mpazayabo and Steph Cookson (pictured bottom far right, and left of Al Gore respectively), found out when they trained as mentors for the project recently.

Fossil Free SA is often challenged about our emphasis on reining in fossil fuel companies to stop climate breakdown. Here is our response − which you, too, can use when speaking to people who insist that we all need coal, oil and gas.

Is UCT implementing its commitment to divest its considerable assets from fossil fuels? The question was asked at our recent AGM, and now we have an update.

I’ve always dreaded AGMs, but our most recent one was different, putting a spring in my step and a light in my heart. Here’s why.

We needed to revisit this question recently after our meetings with Allan Gray and Ninety One (see story above). The upshot: divestment alone cannot stop climate breakdown, but does have massive influence.

We’ve had many engagements with university students and some with lecturers at UCT and Stellenbosch University this year. They were far more receptive to our divestment message than than the asset managers Allan Gray and Ninety One, whose dismissals challenged us to explore, once again, the power of divestment.

At the Clean Creatives’ Climate Mixer event in March 2025, agency CEOs encouraged their peers to be “part of the climate solution, not part of the problem” and described how purpose-driven businesses reap better profits.

Our groundbreaking Smoke and Mirrors report exposes the scale of fossil fuel greenwashing in South Africa, revealing how misleading ads from major petroleum companies reach 15 million people monthly. The Fossil Ad Ban campaign, backed by the GOOD Party, calls for urgent action to ban deceptive fossil fuel advertising and hold companies accountable.

V&A Waterfront has revoked permission for FFSA’s Investment Justice Walk to enter its precinct, forcing a route change. FFSA criticises this decision as undemocratic and inconsistent with the Waterfront’s stated commitments to sustainability and inclusivity. The walk, highlighting ethical investment and climate justice, will proceed on 15 November as planned.

FFSA’s Investment Justice Walk on 15 November 2024 will spotlight SA asset managers still funding fossil fuels. The walk, from St. George’s Cathedral to the V&A Waterfront, will highlight the role of finance in shaping society and call for ethical investment.

FFSA urges South Africa to reject fossil gas, aligning with global calls to cut gas consumption for climate action. Reports show gas is not a cleaner alternative, and methane emissions accelerate global warming. COP27 highlights the urgent need for a rapid transition to renewable energy.

Fossil Free South Africa launched the Planet A Investment Guide, the country’s only ethical investment advisory. The guide highlights three sustainable South African funds as alternatives to fossil fuel investments. FFSA urges investors to seek expert advice while considering ESG-friendly options.

FFSA raises concerns about the Africa Climate Summit’s business-focused agenda, which lacks a clear commitment to phasing out fossil fuels. The summit, influenced by vested interests, has excluded many grassroots voices. FFSA supports African civil society’s call for a Just Transition and stronger climate action.

FFSA criticises Minister Mantashe for misrepresenting EU policy to justify gas and nuclear projects, and warns that expanding fossil fuels will harm the economy, worsen inequality, and contradict global climate goals.

The Advertising Regulatory Board's appeal committee has dismissed TotalEnergies' appeal against a verdict in our favour − a warning to fossil fuel companies against greenwashing.