This podcast is brought to you by the Bearing Man Group - South Africa's finest source of quality engineering components and expertise.

Friday, February 20, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon O'Donnell.

Making headlines today:

Petrochemicals giant Sasol has applied for carbon credits under the clean development mechanism for its proposed investments to replace coal used in operations, with natural gas from Mozambique.

The firm said that it believed at the outset that the application has merit, but was also aware of certain sectors that take a different view.

Indeed, nongovernmental organisation, Earthlife Africa, has filed a formal objection with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to Sasol's application for CDM credits. It has called for Sasol to withdraw its application.

The NGO states that there's a strong suspicion that Sasol's application is no more than a particularly lucrative piece of greenwash.

Using natural gas instead of coal would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus Sasol's registering the project as a CDM. Earthlife Africa maintained that the value of the carbon credits was about 1,1-billion-rand a year.

Toyota South Africa chairperson and CEO Johan van Zyl said that the current economic conditions have made things difficult for TSA. He said the situation was similar to the one other local vehicle manufacturers find themselves in.

But, he said that the company had taken a number of steps to ensure the company's long-term economic viability.

Since the beginning of the year, TSA had moved to a four-day workweek at its Durban plant, in consultation with the labour unions.

Van Zyl said that TSA expectated the market to continue to decline, and that the total market for new vehicle sales would shrink to 410 000 units. He said that TSA didn't foresee an improvement in market conditions until mid-2010.

Also making headlines:

Government, business and labour finalise a blueprint for minimising the impact of the global financial meltdown on the South African economy.
A top regulator warns that South Africa's fuel-security frailties remain, and will resurface once growth returns.
The Johannesburg Development Agency's efforts attract private sector investment into Joburg's inner city.
And, South Africa will discuss reconstruction with a Zimbabwe delegation.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit engineeringnews.co.za.