Christy van der Merwe
Christy van der Merwe is a former contributing editor for Engineering News Online and Mining Weekly Online. She graduated from Rhodes University.
Zuma to attend Copenhagen climate talks
4th December 2009 South African President Jacob Zuma would head to Copenhagen to attend the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention... →
Doha Round must have developmental outcome, Davies reiterates
4th December 2009 South African Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies on Thursday addressed the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Geneva, and... →
SA will meet 500 000-job target – Doidge
3rd December 2009 The government is on track to meet its target of creating 500 000 job opportunities by the end of the year, Public Works Minister Geoff Doidge said... →
Zuma warns SA economy may shed more jobs
3rd December 2009 President Jacob Zuma and the presidential joint working group on Thursday reported back on the status of the framework response to the economic... →
SA meets with Brazil, China and India ahead of Copenhagen talks
1st December 2009 South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs on Tuesday stated that the meeting of the Group of 77 (G77) countries, held in Beijing in China... →
SA and Norway have a good basis for cooperation – King Harald V
24th November 2009 A common understanding on the importance of multilateral institutions and forums for addressing global challenges, has created a good basis for... →
WTO at a ‘crossroads' as Geneva Ministerial looms
18th November 2009 The 153-member World Trade Organisation (WTO) found itself at a "crossroads" as it prepared for the Geneva Ministerial meeting, which would take... →
Refit not sufficient to stimulate SA renewable sector
18th November 2009 Although South Africa's renewable energy feed-in-tariff (Refit) has sent a positive signal to industry, which spurred an explosion of interest,... →
Hopes for ambitious climate agreement at Copenhagen fade
11th November 2009 Shifting from an optimistic standpoint in August, South African Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica on Tuesday stated that it appears to... →
SA delays release of draft climate policy to March
10th November 2009 South Africa's draft zero climate change policy, which was due to be released by the Department of Environmental Affairs by the end of September,... →
Africa united at climate change negotiations, determined to avoid getting a ‘raw deal’
6th November 2009 Determined not to get a "raw deal", Africa has emerged with "the most unified voice" compared with other negotiating blocs at the current United... →
Solar water heater roll out target ‘easily attainable’ – Peters
5th November 2009 Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters on Thursday said that the target of rolling out one-million solar water heaters (SWHs) in South Africa over the... →
Human Settlements Minister says millions wasted on shoddy housing construction
2nd November 2009 The Department of Human Settlements (DHS) on Monday stated that shoddy construction work, and inferior workmanship on the part of contracted... →
Shoddy work, fraud will not to be tolerated, Sexwale warns builders
2nd November 2009 In light of the "serious problems with housing service delivery", the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) has commissioned an audit to "take a... →
Renewable energy uptake needs adequate policy — Scheer
12th October 2009 Less than ten countries in the world had adequate renewable energy policies, said World Council for Renewable Energy president Hermann Scheer at... →
‘Decisive action' needed on climate change
2nd October 2009 Consensus on the science of climate change had emerged at various meetings of the major economies, however, it was hoped that this consensus would... →
Carbon capture can help SA reduce emissions - Minister
29th September 2009 "We cannot neglect any technology that will assist us to address the matters of energy security and climate change," said Energy Minister Dipuo... →
DTI keen to include green industries in revised industrial-policy plan
23rd September 2009 The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday said that although its exploration of ‘green industries' was at an early stage, it was... →
WTO sets up work plan to conclude Doha round next year
23rd September 2009 The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has established a Doha work plan, outlining the needs of the negotiating process between September and December... →
World leaders meet on climate change in New York
23rd September 2009 Almost 100 world leaders descended on New York as the United Nations (UN) held its summit on climate change on Tuesday, aimed at mobilising... →
Business leaders call for ‘robust' climate deal
22nd September 2009 South African companies Absa, Nedbank, Pick ‘n Pay, Santam, Sanlam and Sappi joined business leaders from over 500 global companies to sign ‘The... →
SA to release draft climate change policy by month-end
16th September 2009 The Department of Environmental Affairs would release South Africa's draft climate change policy for comment by the end of September, said... →
SA not ‘compromising anything' at climate change negotiations - Sonjica
16th September 2009 Five weeks of "tough" climate change negotiations awaited South Africa's negotiators before the global climate change talks in Copenhagen, Denmark,... →
Restrictive trade elements may retard global recovery
14th September 2009 Governments should start planning a co-ordinated exit strategy that would eliminate actions and elements that have acted as "sand in the gears of... →
Turton urges SA to integrate water, energy, and agricultural policies
11th September 2009 South Africa must link its water, energy, and food security policies, urged Touchstone Resources director Dr. Anthony Turton, emphasising that the... →
SA urged to introduce more stringent emission standards
10th September 2009 Scania sustainability systems director Jonas Stromberg on Thursday congratulated the city of Johannesburg on the implementation of its Bus Rapid... →
Sweden's environmental technology sector ‘thriving', PM tells SA seminar
10th September 2009 Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt on Thursday said that the environmental technology sector in Sweden was "thriving", as the country became... →
WWF names high-profile personalities as climate champions
9th September 2009 Nedbank CEO Tom Boardman, Lereko Group executive chairperson Valli Moosa, Shanduka chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa and top academic Dr Mamphela... →
SA wants technology diffusion to developing countries at centre of Copenhagen deal
4th September 2009 Predictable financial flows, technology transfer and capacity building for developing countries are the imperatives sought by South African... →
SA to release broadband policy soon - Minister
1st September 2009 South African Minister of Communication Siphiwe Nyanda on Monday said that the department was finalising South Africa's broadband policy, and would... →
UN climate change negotiations get under way in Bonn
11th August 2009 Global climate change talks, leading up to the Copenhagen conference in December, started in Bonn, Germany, this week, and South Africa was... →
Low carbon, high-growth trajectory possible, says UK’s Miliband
7th August 2009 UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband on Thursday said that "a low-carbon high-growth trajectory is possible", adding... →
Climate change presents opportunity to move into new growth areas – CSIR
7th August 2009 Achieving economic growth and tackling climate change were not divergent issues, and a number of countries were seeing them as an opportunity to... →
UK’s Miliband sees clean coal forming part of future energy mix
7th August 2009 UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband on Thursday said that he certainly saw coal playing a role in the energy mix in the... →
Africa united at climate change negotiations
4th August 2009 Africa's position at climate change negotiations was viewed as unified and strong, in fact, as a region, Africa was "probably the most unified",... →
SADC unlikely to create customs union by 2010 deadline
4th August 2009 The creation of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) customs union would not be realised by the envisaged 2010 deadline, and at a SADC... →
EU trade agreements undermine regional integration, says SA official
4th August 2009 In their current form, the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union (EU) and the Southern African Development Community... →
WTO’s Pascal Lamy in SA, plans to meet with Zuma
3rd August 2009 World Trade Organisation (WTO) director general Pascal Lamy is visiting South Africa for two days of meetings with high-level South African... →
WTO Ministerial conference won’t focus on concluding Doha Round – SA official
29th July 2009 The World Trade Organisation (WTO) would, in November this year, convene its first Ministerial conference since the Hong Kong conference in 2005,... →
Calls for Namibia not to sign interim-EPA hold merit, says analyst
28th July 2009 A number of Namibian civil society organisations, as well as the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), have supported the government's... →
Deputy Minister Ntuli urges investors to help SA reach job creation goal
22nd July 2009 The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) needed assistance from investors, both inside South Africa and outside the country, if the government... →
