The formal publication of the Second Biennial Report on the State of Climate Science and Technology in South Africa1 by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in early August 2021 comes ahead ...of the Conference of Parties (COP) meeting to be held in Glasgow in November 2021. The 26th COP meeting is where world leaders, scientists and representatives of business and civil society will gather to find bold solutions and limit the risks of climate change.
The South African Journal of Science (SAJS) is an integral part of the Academy of Science of South Africa's (ASSAf) core activities, responding directly to one of ASSAf's five strategic goals, namely ...the promotion of innovation and scholarly activity in South Africa, with a special emphasis on all forms of interdisciplinarity based on the core and common role of empirical enquiry. ASSAf's role as publisher of the journal is critical to the strategic direction and successful implementation of its scholarly publishing and open access activities. In August 1947, the annual report became a monthly publication and the journal was published under the auspices of various bodies, including Macmillan Journals in London, the Associated Scientific and Technical Societies of South Africa, the Foundation for Education, Science and Technology, and the National Research Foundation. There were some difficult times over the years, but the journal sustained itself without interruption.
There is a thoughtful chapter on the role of business which provides a useful starting point for a much-needed conversation between government and the private sector on how to cooperate in the green ...technology space. ...there are some all-important messages that touch on human behaviour.
The contribution of the road transportation sector to emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases is a growing concern in developing countries. Emission control measures implemented within this ...sector can have varying counteracting influences. In the city of Durban, South Africa, the growing dependence on privately-owned motor vehicles and increasing usage of roads for freight transport have all resulted in significant air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, an emissions inventory was developed for the road transport sector and was used as a basis to explore intervention opportunities that are likely to reduce simultaneously, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in this sector. It was found that reducing the vehicle kilometres travelled by privately-owned motor vehicles and improving the efficiency of road freight transport offered the greatest potential for achieving co-benefits.
► Road transport is responsible for significant atmospheric emissions in Durban. ► Private motor vehicle fleet is old & road freight dominates over the use of rail. ► Presently no interventions are taken to tackle pollution from this sector. ► Policies should focus on reducing vehicle kilometres travelled and fleet renewal.
In the first article in a series on maternal, newborn, and child health in sub-Saharan Africa, Joy Lawn and colleagues outline where and why deaths among mothers and children occur and what known ...interventions can be employed to prevent these deaths.
Industries in Durban, South Africa, are a major source of air pollutant emissions and large users of fossil fuel based energy. Durban’s energy strategy prioritises energy efficiency at industries as ...a key action, whilst industries are also the focus of the city’s air quality management plan (AQMP). In this paper, measures that have been introduced in industries in Durban to effect air quality improvements and reduce energy consumption are examined in terms of their respective impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions. It was found that co-benefits for GHG mitigation were achieved when petroleum refineries switched from using heavy fuel oil to refinery gas and methane rich gas. Within other industries, co-benefits for air quality stemmed from reducing fossil fuel energy consumption and the improved efficiency of combustion systems. Air quality and energy policies in the city are being executed independently, without consideration of the trade-offs or synergies of the interventions being implemented. Recommendations are made for authorities and industries to consider the co-benefits for GHG mitigation in their AQMPs and where these are not possible to consider offsetting the increased GHG emissions through improved alignment with energy strategies.
► Industrial energy use is a major source of atmospheric pollution in Durban. ► Air quality and energy policies are executed independently. ► Opportunities to harvest co-benefits and reduce trade-offs are overlooked. ► Air quality management plans should be aligned with energy strategies.
The celebration of the Academy of Science of South Africa's (ASSAf's) 20th anniversary presents an opportune time to examine ASSAf's role in the science advisory space in South Africa and to reflect, ...more generally, on the nature and value of academy advice. Although very young in comparison with other global science academies, some of which are more than 360 years old, ASSAf is fortunate to have benefitted from the experience of others and since its inception has had its science advisory role clearly articulated in its statutes. This is not true of many of the older science academies that were founded with the intention of fulfilling a largely honorific role and as such have had to grapple with the transition to a working academy model. The importance of science advice is commonly attributed to the scientific nature of the challenges confronting modern society - examples include climate change, disaster risk management, food security, and the bulk of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Science academies are well placed to contribute towards strengthening of national systems of innovation through advocating for an increased participation of girls and women in science. To ...successfully do so, academies would need to overcome challenges faced with regard to women’s representation in their own ranks and women’s resultant full participation in the activities of national science academies. We collected baseline data on the representation of women scientists in the membership and governance structures of national science academies that are affiliated with IAP: the Global Network of Science Academies. Women academy members remained far below parity with men, given that women’s membership was typically about 12%. Women members were better represented in the social sciences, humanities and arts but the corresponding shares rarely exceeded 20%. In the natural sciences and engineering, women’s membership remained well below 10%. On average, the largest share of women members (17%) was associated with academies in Latin America and the Caribbean. The average share of women serving on governing bodies was 20%. To change this unsettling narrative, the importance of academies of science annually collecting, analysing and reporting gender-disaggregated data on membership and activities is highlighted as a key recommendation. Several aspects of women’s representation and participation in national science academies are highlighted for further investigation. Significance: • Demonstrates under-representation of women in national science academies. • Reports on results of the first gender-disaggregated survey on membership and governance of national science academies, globally. • Underscores the importance of regular collection, analysis and reporting of gender-disaggregated data in the science sector.
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