insert_link Africa Nigerian tycoon taps Zimbabwe for lithium as Africa pushes local development of its mining sector By Seth Onyango, bird tsory agency Nigerian industrialist Benedict Peters’ Bravura Holdings will start production at a Zimbabwean lithium project in 2025, boosting Africa's drive to retain more profits from the global lithium boom, according to mining.com. African Intelligence reported in March that the Nigerian billionaire had acquired an exploration license in the key mining area of Kamativi. Peters' foray into lithium mining […] todayJune 5, 2024 10
insert_link Business / Economics By not mining vital minerals, NZ is ‘offshoring its own environmental footprint’ – is that fair? Getty Images By Martin Brook, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau When Resources Minister Shane Jones recently unveiled his draft strategy for mineral mining, it was quickly criticised by the Labour opposition as “taking New Zealand backwards”. One environmental group even called it a “love letter to mining companies”. But the government’s ambition to double the sector’s export value to NZ$2 billion by 2035, with flow-on effects […] todayJune 5, 2024 8
insert_link Business / Economics Electric cars pile up at European ports as Chinese firms struggle to find buyers By Tom Stacey, Anglia Ruskin University China’s automotive industry has revolutionised over the past decade, from producing basic western clones to making cars that equal the world’s best. As the manufacturing powerhouse of the world, China is also producing them in huge volumes. However, Chinese cars are facing difficulties in finding buyers in Europe. Imported cars, many of which are Chinese electric vehicles, are piling up at […] todayApril 30, 2024 13
insert_link Business / Economics International Energy Agency expects half of all cars sold globally to be electric by 2035 Global electric vehicle sales are set to rise by more than a fifth to reach 17 million this year, powered by drivers in China. In a report Tuesday, the International Energy Agency projected that “increased demand” for EVs over the next decade was set “to remake the global auto industry and significantly reduce oil consumption for road transport.” According to CNN, it expects half of all cars sold globally to […] todayApril 24, 2024 1
insert_link Africa bird TenX: African countries with the highest number of EVs By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Despite recent headwinds, a growing shift from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles continues apace in Africa. Last year, the global sale of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose by 31% compared to 2022, according to a 2024 report by market research firm Rho Motion. Despite the high cost of conversion and a lack of adequate enabling infrastructure such as […] todayApril 16, 2024 16
insert_link Africa New e-mobility policies are pushing EV fleet expansions in Africa By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency African countries are welcoming a new era of more robust e-mobility policies as countries seek to scale their electric vehicle (EV) fleets after successful tests and pilots. According to Lusanda Madikizela, the head of Zero Emission Transport at C40 Cities in South Africa, better policies provide confidence for investors, manufacturers and operators. “Manufacturers need policy certainty so they can adjust specifications... financiers […] todayApril 16, 2024 22
insert_link Business / Economics World oil demand grows amid Red Sea shipping disruptions: IEA Global oil demand is forecast to grow more than expected due to a brighter US economic outlook and rising fuel needs of ships rerouted away from the Red Sea, the International Energy Agency said Thursday. Commercial ships have been taking longer and costlier journeys around the southern tip of Africa to avoid attacks by Yemen's Huthi rebels in the Red Sea, a vital international trade route. The […] todayMarch 14, 2024 10
insert_link Environment Bangkok says work from home as pollution blankets city Bangkok city employees have been told to work from home to avoid harmful air pollution, as a layer of noxious haze blanketed the Thai capital on Thursday. City authorities asked for cooperation from employers to help workers in the city of about 11 million people avoid the pollution, which is expected to last into Friday. The air monitoring website IQAir ranked Bangkok among the 10 most polluted cities […] todayFebruary 15, 2024 8
insert_link Africa Africa’s battery manufacturing activity is charging ahead By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency Africa is leading a homegrown revolution in battery manufacturing, leveraging its abundant green mineral resources and clean energy to feed surging global demand for clean, green, renewable energy storage. Strategic partnerships between countries and investment partners are gaining momentum, aiming to transform the continent, currently a net importer of batteries, into a self-sufficient region capable of meeting the growing battery storage demand […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 8
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.