MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / SA hosts global circular economy workshop

SA hosts global circular economy workshop

SA hosts global circular economy workshop

Efforts to ensure that South Africa has a clean and healthy environment are under the spotlight at the 7th Global Forum of Cities for Circular Economy (GFCCE) workshop.

The two-day workshop, which is being hosted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in Johannesburg — in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Environment — is aimed at enhancing South-South cooperation for improving the solid waste management ecosystem in the Global South, and building the capacity of nominated officials from 18 African nations.

The workshop, which concludes on Wednesday, is being attended by delegates from Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Addressing the opening of the workshop, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, highlighted some of the measures government has adopted to bolster the circular economy, focusing on reusing and recycling materials to ensure a sustainable and secure supply of resources.

“South Africa has instituted various policy instruments and initiatives to advance sustainable development pathways, with circular economy principles firmly embedded in these strategies,” Swarts said on Tuesday. 

These policy instruments include the National Waste Management Strategy, Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations (EPR) for priority waste streams and other economic instruments that include fees, levies and taxes to incentivise or disincentivise behaviour change.

“Extended Producer Responsibility became necessary to be included in South Africa’s policy mix, given the increased generation of waste. EPR shifts seek to shift the responsibility for products from municipalities and consumers, to producers.

“South Africa is under immense pressure and the host city [of the workshop] – the City of Joburg – together with others – does not have sufficient landfill airspace. It is, therefore, necessary to utilise a policy mix to address resource efficiency. It is also necessary that cities are enabled to monitor resource use,” Swarts said.

The Deputy Minister noted that for meaningful progress to be made across the board, strong partnerships are needed.

“Collaboration between government and the private sector is paramount in realising the goals of the waste management hierarchy and facilitating our transition to a circular economy. 

“South Africa remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthening these partnerships and advancing the shared objectives of the GFCCE. This collaboration benefits our governments through reduced spending and creates green opportunities,” she said.

Since its establishment in 2021, the GFCCE has expanded to a community of 22 Member States, with 18 countries from Africa. This platform is dedicated to advancing circular economy principles in alignment with national policies and priorities. 

Cities account for 75% of natural resource consumption and 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Swarts said more people will continue to migrate to cities to seek better opportunities and it is necessary that cities become resilient in resource efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint. – SAnews.gov.za

nosihle
Tue, 01/28/2025 – 13:05

25 views

Efforts to ensure that South Africa has a clean and healthy environment are under the spotlight at the 7th Global Forum of Cities for Circular Economy (GFCCE) workshop.

The two-day workshop, which is being hosted by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in Johannesburg — in collaboration with the Centre for Science and Environment — is aimed at enhancing South-South cooperation for improving the solid waste management ecosystem in the Global South, and building the capacity of nominated officials from 18 African nations.

The workshop, which concludes on Wednesday, is being attended by delegates from Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Addressing the opening of the workshop, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, highlighted some of the measures government has adopted to bolster the circular economy, focusing on reusing and recycling materials to ensure a sustainable and secure supply of resources.

“South Africa has instituted various policy instruments and initiatives to advance sustainable development pathways, with circular economy principles firmly embedded in these strategies,” Swarts said on Tuesday. 

These policy instruments include the National Waste Management Strategy, Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations (EPR) for priority waste streams and other economic instruments that include fees, levies and taxes to incentivise or disincentivise behaviour change.

“Extended Producer Responsibility became necessary to be included in South Africa’s policy mix, given the increased generation of waste. EPR shifts seek to shift the responsibility for products from municipalities and consumers, to producers.

“South Africa is under immense pressure and the host city [of the workshop] – the City of Joburg – together with others – does not have sufficient landfill airspace. It is, therefore, necessary to utilise a policy mix to address resource efficiency. It is also necessary that cities are enabled to monitor resource use,” Swarts said.

The Deputy Minister noted that for meaningful progress to be made across the board, strong partnerships are needed.

“Collaboration between government and the private sector is paramount in realising the goals of the waste management hierarchy and facilitating our transition to a circular economy. 

“South Africa remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthening these partnerships and advancing the shared objectives of the GFCCE. This collaboration benefits our governments through reduced spending and creates green opportunities,” she said.

Since its establishment in 2021, the GFCCE has expanded to a community of 22 Member States, with 18 countries from Africa. This platform is dedicated to advancing circular economy principles in alignment with national policies and priorities. 

Cities account for 75% of natural resource consumption and 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Swarts said more people will continue to migrate to cities to seek better opportunities and it is necessary that cities become resilient in resource efficiency and reduce their environmental footprint. – SAnews.gov.za

Watch a SA hosts global circular economy workshop related video:

Stunning South Africa:

https://www.ierek.com/storage/uploads/conferences/647/list_img.jpg

Have you visited MyPR?

MyPR.co.za offers free to publish press releases for your news site, blog or offline publication. Use the handy REPUBLISH facility or the Full Text RSS Feeds or just copy and paste.

Straton Electrical | Straton Solar | Straton Prepaid | Straton Plumbing | Straton IoT | Straton eBikes | BA Systems | Mbane Contracting | Reach Trust

Category: Tag: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Fun South African fact

    Dear Editor Fun South African fact: towns like Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are home to world-class wine farms set in stunning, scenic surroundings. Regards Aressa Smith In Response to/From: Luxury Properties Seized in New Lottery Crackdown

  • Condolences on the Passing of Lusanda Dumke

    Statement by Leander Kruger MPL – DA Buffalo City Constituency Leader: The Democratic Alliance in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality mourns the passing of Springbok Women’s rugby player and Mdantsane trailblazer, Lusanda Dumke, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 28. South Africa has lost an exceptional athlete, a leader, and a source…

  • Rape Kits Delivered, But…

    Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice: The DA can confirm that 2 840 rape kits arrived in Cape Town on Monday, following sustained DA oversight and pressure after multiple police stations across the Western Cape were found to be without this critical forensic evidence tool. While this delivery…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Oom – older man of authority / Uncle [oo-um] Used in reference to an older uncle or even someone who is not your uncle but in an authority position. Usually expressed with respect.

  2. Oke / Ou – guy [oak] / [oh] South Africa’s most common word for a man or guy and is similar in meaning to ‘china’, ‘bru’ or ‘boet’.