Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Sustainable Agriculture

Environmental Achievements

• Increased hectares under shade netting by 171% from 2013 to 2018 in the Western Cape.
• Increased number of tunnel structures by 55% from 2013 to 2018 in the Western Cape.
• Significant increase in the area under production of high-value export crops (citrus, berries, sub-tropical fruits, and nuts) from 2013/14 to 2017/18 in the Western Cape.

Social Achievements

• Woolworth’s Farming for the Future initiative focusing on water saving, soil quality improvement, and reduced chemical dependence.
• Nedbank's investments in Aerobotics, floating solar PV systems, shade netting for orchards, and water source area protection.
• WWF's engagement with farmers to improve land use planning, production efficiency, and responsible farming practices.
• LandCare's projects clearing alien invasive species, improving water availability and creating jobs.

Governance Achievements

• Stellenbosch Wine Routes signing the Porto Protocol, committing to climate change mitigation.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Water scarcity due to climate change and population growth.
• Drought conditions (2015-2018) resulting in economic losses.
• Diminishing returns on arable land due to conventional farming practices.
• Rising input costs for energy, fertilizer, and pesticides.
• International regulations on synthetic chemical bans.
• Policy uncertainty regarding land ownership and expropriation.
• Lack of access to finance, particularly for high-tech systems.
• Lack of technical knowledge and integration between disciplines in precision agriculture.
• Mindset change required by farmers to adopt new technologies.
• Market access challenges for small-scale urban farmers.
• Limited funding opportunities for agtech startups.

Mitigation Strategies

• Promoting renewable energy (solar PV) adoption.
• Supporting conservation agriculture (CA) and regenerative agriculture (RA) practices.
• Developing remote sensing technologies for precision agriculture.
• Promoting urban agriculture (UA), particularly hydroponic production.
• Providing funding and incentives for sustainable agriculture.
• Developing best practice guidelines and standards for sustainable farming.
• Facilitating training and consulting services for new technologies.
• Improving feasibility studies for high-tech UF projects.
• Addressing barriers to the uptake of remote sensing in precision agriculture (licensing, cost, support environment, funding).

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Supporting local manufacturers of sustainable technologies.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Droughts
• Floods

Transition Risks

• Stricter environmental regulations
• Synthetic chemical bans

Opportunities

• Renewable energy adoption
• Water-efficient technologies
• Regenerative agriculture