Overview of CSI spend on environment in 2025

National context  

• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) was allocated R9.08 billion in 2025/26, constituting 0.35% of the consolidated government expenditure bill of R2.59 trillion, a slight decrease from R9.1bn in 2024/25. Transfers and subsidies to public entities such as SANBI, SANParks, iSimangaliso and SA Weather Service account for over R5.5 billion of the budget. In June 2025, DFFE Minister Dr Dion George noted that the 2025/26 budget allocation was the department’s smallest share of the national budget since 2016/17. 
• The UN climate conference in Azerbaijan (COP29) concluded on 24 November 2024 with an agreement calling on developed countries to provide at least US$300 billion per year to developing countries by 2035 to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening impacts of climate change. 
• Data from the Ember Electricity Data Explorer shows that coal accounted for 74% of South Africa’s electricity generation in January 2025. Solar power reached 11% and wind power contributed almost 5%, together accounting for 16% of the country’s electricity generation. 
• In October 2025, George announced that South Africa was ready to submit its second Nationally Determined Contribution ahead of COP30. In the draft published in the Government Gazette in July, the government proposed a new emissions target for 2035, ranging from 320 to 380 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e). This is in addition to the 2030 emissions target range of 350–420 MtCO₂e. 
• The OECD estimates that South Africa needs an average of R535 billion per year to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution on emissions by 2030. It is further estimated that an additional investment of 3% per year is required across the energy, transport, waste, agriculture and environment sectors. 
• A just transition survey, administered as part of the 2024 HSRC South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS), found that slightly more South Africans (11%, up from 9% in 2023) have heard the term ‘just transition’ and know what it means. Most South Africans (62%) support the move away from coal, but concerns remain: 34% of respondents worry about high electricity prices and 30% are concerned about job losses. 

Overview of CSI spend  

Environment was supported by 47% of companies and received 3% of average CSI expenditure. 

• Waste management and recycling continued to receive the largest share of CSI spend in the environmental sector at 27% in 2025, unchanged from 2024. 
• Average CSI spend on awareness programmes (16%) and water conservation and wetlands management (11%) in 2025 also remained consistent with 2024 levels (17% and 12% respectively).  
• Support for climate change interventions, now the third-most supported intervention area, increased from an average allocation of 8% in 2024 to 14% in 2025.  
• Less than 10% of average CSI spend in the environment sector went to: infrastructure, facilities and equipment (8%), urban greening (7%), biodiversity and alien clearing (6%), and wildlife conservation (3%). A further 8% went towards non-specific general donations.