Living through a time where the climate justice movement feels more polarised than ever before, we wanted to make sure that we weren’t just continuing with business-as-usual in work, but rather only committing ourselves to work, projects, and campaigns that felt truly impactful. We even questioned what true impact means to us. Here’s a closer look at what we have been up to in January, February, and March.

Stilfontein will and must be remembered as one of the worst tragedies we have witnessed in the thirty years we have had democracy in South Africa. It seems that who we consider human, how we understand criminality, and who gets the right to a fair trial – and who does not – is deeply tied to the systems that allow for the government’s complicity in extractive violence and disregard for human rights of those it deems disposable.

This year has been a monumental one in the five-year history of the African Climate Alliance. If we could sum up the year in one word it would be: movement-building. As we wind down toward our annual organisational break before diving into 2025, here’s a brief look at what we have been up to in October, November, and December.

In a landmark ruling, the High Court of South Africa has overturned the government’s plans to add 1,500 MW of new coal-fired power to the national grid, saying they are “unlawful and invalid.”

 In a powerful call to action, children and youth across South Africa are urging the government to advocate for their climate rights at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). As the ICJ prepares to issue an advisory opinion on states’ obligations in respect of climate change under international law, young South Africans are demanding that their voices be heard and their rights protected.

The third quarter of 2024 kept us on our feet with many movement-building moments, workshops, and our annual Cape Town Climate Week. As we prepare for the final quarter of 2024, here’s a brief look at what we have been up to in July, August, and September.

After three years of litigation, youth activists got their day in the Pretoria High Court on 9 and 10 October in a landmark case against the government to stop building any new coal plants.

After five days of solutions-focussed events across the city, the third annual Cape Town Climate Week has come to a close, but imaginations and dreams for a more just city are only just beginning.

There are so many different ways to care for people and the planet. This is the message behind Cape Town Climate Week 2024, a week-long event lineup of grassroots solutions to some of the most pressing issues of our time, set to take place from 23 to 28 September 2024.

Access to safe and clean water is a basic human right and critical for individual survival and societies. Yet, in Africa, more than  25% of the population spends about six hours walking in order to get enough water for a day — sometimes unclean water — which causes serious health problems and reinforces cycles of poverty. 

The second quarter of 2024 followed suit from the first with many milestones and a fully packed calendar of events, workshops, and new projects. As we prepare for the second half of 2024, here’s a brief look at what we have been up to in April, May, and June.

As a global community, on World Environment Day, we are reflecting on our planet's precious resources, and the need for land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. This is a particularly critical issue currently gripping the African continent.

The first-ever Cape Town Climate Concert isn't just about music; it's a rallying cry for a better future. Building on the long South African history of the connection between song and social change, the Cape Town Climate Concert aims to bring together people living in Cape Town and surrounds.

The past financial year has seen many impactful highlights across our four key programmes — education, advocacy, action, and ambassadors. Our 2023-2024 annual report includes an overview of our programmatic work, how we work, a financial overview, and a look at our board and team.

To dismantle systems of oppression, we need to imagine our alternatives. We need to articulate the futures we dream of. This is why we are asking young people, from across Africa, to share what #TheFutureIs to them from 6 May to 28 June 2024.

The first quarter of the new year has been a busy and fulfilling season at ACA. We hit the ground running when the team returned from our annual organisational break in mid-January and it’s been go-go-go ever since – with many milestones along the way.

On the 21st of March 2024, in Cape Town, civil society from different sectors, organisations, and communities across the city came together for a mass action to call for deep systemic change. The action had received a permit from the City of Cape Town (CoCT) for 2500 people to march and gather. In issuing the permit, the CoCT confirmed that sufficient police, law enforcement, and traffic officers would be present to ensure the safety of all involved with the action. Unfortunately this proved not to be the case.

Youth, civil society, and concerned citizens are gearing up for the next March for System Change, scheduled for Thursday, March 21, 2024.

The People’s Hearing for Energy Profiteers is a platform for affected communities, activists, and civil society experts to advocate for the prioritisation of human and environmental rights in efforts to address the energy crisis and the climate crisis.

It feels as though the final quarter of the year has flown by and we are looking forward to a much-needed break. Here are a few highlights from the final quarter of the year.