SOUTH AFRICA yesterday offered to reduce its greenhouse emissions by 42 per cent by 2025 if developed countries committed financially and technologically to aiding poorer nations cope with climate change.
President Jacob Zuma’s offer is the first time South Africa has given a specific target for reducing its carbon footprint, and it comes as a crucial phase of United Nations talks on a new global deal to tackle global warming opened in Copenhagen.
In a statement released on the presidency website, the continent’s largest economy said by 2020 its greenhouse gas emissions would be 34 per cent less than what they are expected to be; and by 2025, they would be 42 per cent less. “This undertaking is conditional on firstly a fair, ambitious and effective agreement; and secondly, the provision of support from the international community, and in particular finance, technology and support.
“This level of effort enables South Africa’s emissions to peak between 2020 and 2025, plateau for approximately a decade and decline in absolute terms thereafter,” the statement said.
South Africa is one of the biggest polluters because of its over-reliance on coal-fired power plants, which produce high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, as its main energy source. Until the recent economic downturn, South Africa had experienced unprecedented growth, which strained its ability to meet energy demand and led to rolling nationwide blackouts early last year. In response, the government gave the go-ahead for construction of a new coal plant, the biggest in the country.
While the government says it is looking at alternative energy sources, huge investment is needed if large-scale environmentally friendly energy is to be produced. To date, foreign investment has helped South Africa build new solar- and wind-powered plants.
According to environmental group Greenpeace, South Africa’s announcement has made it “one of the stars of the negotiations”.
Mr Zuma plans to attend the marathon talks in Copenhagen on December 17th-18th, where he will join world leaders trying to agree a pact to take over from the Kyoto Protocol’s requirements which expire in 2012.