As the need to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions becomes more urgent, carbon credits have become a key component of global efforts to mitigate the detrimental effect of greenhouse gas emissions. A market for carbon credits is created whereby certain projects/organisations that remove or prevent GHG emissions earn carbon credits which they then sell to organisations that generate carbon emissions through their business practices/ activities. Through this “transaction”, the latter mentioned offset the emissions they generate.
Carbon trading has become a standard practice worldwide with the largest carbon market being established under the European Union. As announced during the 2014 Budget Review, South Africa will have a compulsory carbon tax with the tax being introduced as of 1 January 2016.
The Western Cape’s Green Economy Strategy Framework sets the following goal statement for the province: To position the Western Cape as the green economic hub of Africa and the lowest carbon province. With this goal statement in mind the 110% Green Carbon Neutral project was conceptualized to show Western Cape Government’s commitment to lead by example in reducing its carbon emissions through carbon trading. This trading occurs with projects based in the province which have an explicit and audited link to poverty reduction.
A pilot study within the Department of the Premier was conducted in 2013/2014 to ensure that carbon trading could be conducted through the Department’s Supply Chain Management and Finance systems. The pilot was successful in alerting the necessary officials to the process of carbon trading. Through Promoting Access to Carbon Equity (PACE), the carbon credits retired 683.4 tons of carbon equivalent emissions from the Hout Bay Recycling Co-operative, Reliance Compost and Spier Mob Grazing. This offset emissions for 1 839 824 kms travelled in GMT vehicles and 1 019 151 kms flown through one of four air travel service providers.
In the upcoming year, with the PACE, we aim to expand the project to begin raising awareness among staff in the Department of the Premier about carbon credits and the upcoming carbon tax. Through this, it is hoped that other Departments will join us by selecting events and/or projects for which they would like to offset the carbon footprint. In doing so the aim is to lower the carbon footprint of the Western Cape government and reach the Green Economy goal of lowest carbon province.
Photo courtesy of Reliance Compost