Tag: waste

The 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) has just unfolded in Baku, Azerbaijan. This means that since 1992, when 154 countries signed the UNFCCC agreeing to combat harmful human impacts on the climate, we are still grappling with many challenges.

Engineers have long drawn inspiration from nature. Examples of such biomimicry include passive ventilation systems modelled after termite mounds and wind turbine blades with scalloped edges, inspired by humpback whale flippers, which reduce drag dramatically.

With Coal & Energy Transition Day taking place this month, the discussion around sustainability and coal mining ramps up, as the sector grapples with the desire and responsibility to lower its carbon footprint – but not lose its very reason for existence.

Mining is a historically linear process – we take materials from the earth, make products from them and eventually throw them away as waste. With the intensification of climate change, environmental degradation, pollution – all products of linear economies – the mining industry needs to transition to a circular economy.

In the ever-evolving landscape of waste management, EnviroServ stands as a distinguished leader, with a legacy of expertise. Established in 1979 and headquartered in Gauteng, South Africa, the company has consistently pioneered innovative waste solutions, finding solutions to help customers become part of the circular economy.

The construction sector must not be overlooked in the drive towards achieving net zero. While sectors such as industrial manufacturing, mining and fossil fuel power generation tend to grab more headlines, the construction of buildings and infrastructure accounts for approximately 7 Gt CO2e, or 20% of global carbon emissions, where 4 Gt CO2e is associated with the materials used for construction.

Sustainability has risen to board level discussions in South African corporates, as they grapple with both the public’s demand for environmentally friendly products as well as the growing requirements of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting.

Read our exclusive cover story titled Waste Governance - can your cost burden become a value driver? by Kate Stubbs, Group Business Development and Marketing Director, Interwaste, plus a host of other topical management articles written by professionals, consultants and academics.

To minimise environmental impact, many organisations seek to implement eco-conscious strategies into their operational practices.

The world’s population is predicted to grow to more than 9 billion by 2050 and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that we will need to produce 60% more food to feed everyone, a huge increase that will undoubtedly take its toll on the planet.