South Africa’s seventh 'National Greenhouse-Gas (GHG) Inventory' report for 2000 to 2017, released on August 24, shows that emissions have increased by 10.4% over the 17-year period.

The report, published by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), covers sources of GHG emissions, and removals by sinks, resulting from human or anthropogenic activities. All the major GHGs, namely carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, and hydrofluorocarbons, are included.

Indirect GHGs – carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen – are also included for biomass burning.

“Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) emissions have not yet been included owing to a lack of data. However, the DFFE is in discussions with power utility Eskom to obtain historical SF₆ data so that it can be included in the next inventory.

Further, a threshold has been set for SF₆ in the new GHG reporting regulations so that companies will start reporting data,” the DFFE says.

The gases are reported under four sectors, namely energy; industrial processes and product use (IPPU); agriculture, forestry and other land use (Afolu); and waste.

The 2000 to 2017 GHG emissions results revealed an increasing trend in emissions in the energy, IPPU and waste sectors. The decrease in the net Afolu sector is owing to an increasing land sink.

There was an annual average increase of 2% between 2000 and 2009, and then emissions stabilised and declined at an average annual rate of 1%.

Energy contributed 78% of GHG emissions, IPPU 7%, Afolu 12% and waste 3% in 2000. In 2017, energy contributed 80.1% of GHG emissions, IPPU 6.3%, Afolu 9.5% and waste 4.1%.

“The information gleaned from the inventory report supports policy development and decision-making related to a viable climate change mitigation response as South Africa transitions to a low-carbon and climate-resilient society as outlined in the National Development Plan’s Vision 2030 and the National Climate Change Response Policy 2011.

“The inventory is also vital in supporting implementation of South Africa’s Nationally Determined Contribution, to be tabled ahead of the international climate talks in November. It is also important in terms of supporting national imperatives, such as the implementation of the carbon tax, determining carbon budgets and other climate mitigation instruments so we can achieve the country’s developmental and sustainable development goals,” says Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy.

The latest report was published by Creecy as part of South Africa’s commitment in terms of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which requires countries to not only address climate change, but also to monitor trends in anthropogenic GHG emissions.

The report, compiled in accordance with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will be submitted to the UNFCCC to fulfil South Africa’s reporting obligations. This is done through national communications every four years and the biennial update reports every two years.

One of the principal commitments includes the development, publishing and regularly updating of national emission inventories of GHGs. Parties to the UNFCCC are also obligated to protect and enhance carbon sinks and reservoirs, such as forests, and implement measures that assist in national and regional climate change adaptation and mitigation, the DFFE says.