Greenhouse Gas Management

 

The biggest single phenomenon on Earth in the last 50 years is barely discussed in media, politics, business or education circles. It is the Great Acceleration – a unique event in the 4.5 billion-year history of our planet, seeing exponential increases in almost all forms of consumption and production. Since 1800, global population has grown sevenfold, surpassing 7.6 billion, and the global economy has grown 30-fold. But it has really been in the last 50 years that economic development has driven a phenomenal increase in the demand for energy, land, and water, that is fundamentally changing Earth’s operating system. Human-induced change is so great that many scientists believe we are entering a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene. It is not known whether a stable Anthropocene state will come to exist. It certainly isn’t stable now. In the last 50 years, global average temperature has risen at 170 times the background rate. Ocean acidification may be occurring at a rate not seen in at least 300 million years. Earth is losing biodiversity at a rate seen only during mass extinctions, and still more change may be headed our way as people are responsible for releasing 100 billion tonnes of carbon into the Earth system every 10 years. 

Greenhouse gas pollution prevention plans and mandatory greenhouse gas reporting: 

Governmental intervention is clearly long overdue, and on 21 July 2017 the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No.39 of 2004) was published (Government Gazette no. 40996): both the National Pollution Prevention Plans Regulations, and the Declaration of Greenhouse Gases As Priority Air Pollutants Regulations. According to these regulations, it is compulsory for all entities involved in the following processes, to submit pollution prevention plans according to the prescriptions of the Act, to submit annual progress reports, and to appoint a person in order to do so: 

  • Coal mining,
  • Production and/or refining of crude oil,
  • Production and/or processing of natural gas,
  • Production of liquid fuels from coal or gas,
  • Cement production,
  • Glass production,
  • Ammonia production,
  • Nitric acid production,
  • Carbon black production,
  • Iron and stet* production,
  • Ferro-alloys production,
  • Aluminium production (excluding foundries},
  • Polymers production,
  • Pulp and paper production,
  • Electricity Production (combustion of fossil fuels, excluding the use of back-up generators).

The priority pollutant greenhouse gases are defined in the Act as:

  • Carbon dioxide (CO2),
  • Methane (CH4),
  • Nitrous oxide (N2O),
  • Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
  • Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and
  • Sulphur hexafluoride (SFs).

Contgact us to draw up your Greenhouse gas pollution prevention plans and mandatory greenhouse gas reports.

Carbon budget:
The National Climate Change Response Strategy of the DoEA allows large emitters of greenhouse gases to voluntarily apply for a company specific carbon budget, thereby qualifying for 5% relief on their carbon tax liability. Contact us to draw up your carbon budget.

Carbon Tax:
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni introduced the Carbon Tax Bill in the National Assembly on Tuesday 20 November 2018, marking the culmination of an eight-year process of preparation and consultation with stakeholders. The tax is due to take effect from 1 June 2019, and while
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parliament’s finance committee expects to process the bill before the end of the year, it does not envisage voting on it before parliament rises in early December for the recess. A number of tax- free allowances will apply during the first phase of the carbon tax and will be capped at 95%. An initial headline tax rate of R120 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, and various tax-free allowances, will result in an effective tax rate that will vary between R6 and R48 per tonne, depending on the industry sector, and amount of emissions. The use of carbon offsets/credits as a relief mechanism in the proposed tax system is included in the allowances. These carbon offsets/credits, generated in South Africa, can be sold to carbon tax payers to reduce their carbon tax liability. Contact us to determine your pending tax liability, and to determine what carbon credits you may claim. 

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM):
The CDM is a mechanism whereby developing countries may implement emission reduction projects to earn certified emissions reductions (CERs). Under the Kyoto protocol, the CERs can be sold to developed countries to offset their emissions and meet their reduction targets. (1 CER = 1 ton CO2). Contact us to find out if you are eligible for registration of, and to register your CDM project. 

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Request management of greenhouse gas emissions

FOR THE PLANET • FOR THE CHILDREN • FOR THE FUTURE