Question NW753 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs

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18 April 2019 - NW753

Profile picture: Xalisa, Mr Z R

Xalisa, Mr Z R to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

What has been the country’s carbon emission rates in terms of each sector’s contribution in each of the past 10 years?

Reply:

To support tracking of domestic climate change policy imperatives, South Africa, as a Non-Annex I Party to the UNFCCC, prepares and regularly updates a National Greenhouse Gas Inventory which provides an account of current emissions levels and trends. The latest official greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, approved officially by the late Minister of Environmental Affairs and submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), covers a period of 2000 – 2012. However, the Department has prepared preliminary GHG estimates for the period 2000 – 2015, which have gone through an independent review and public consultation process. Thus, in responding to the question raised, the preliminary estimates of 2000 – 2015 are provided by the sector. In terms of South Africa’s GHG inventory, four sectors are covered, and these include the Energy Sector; Industrial Processes and Product Use Sector; Agriculture Forestry and Other Land Use Sector; as well as the Waste Sector.

According to the 2000 – 2015 GHG inventory, the net emissions are currently 510 694,09 Gigagrams of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (GgCO2eq). The Energy Sector contributed 84% of these emissions in the year 2015.

The table below provides a breakdown of the 4 sectors and their respective contributions to the national emissions profile across the time series of 2000 – 2015.

 

Energy

IPPU

AFOLU (excl. FOLU)

AFOLU (incl. FOLU)

Waste

Gross total

Net total

Emissions (Gg CO2e)

2000

341 494

34 071

50 600

35 306

10 838

437 003

421 709

2001

339 566

34 057

50 286

33 617

11 502

435 412

418 743

2002

350 968

36 141

50 886

33 258

12 137

450 132

432 504

2003

374 586

35 607

49 252

33 674

12 755

472 199

456 622

2004

390 091

35 784

49 179

35 301

13 355

488 409

474 531

2005

384 329

39 118

48 200

34 825

13 940

485 587

472 212

2006

391 155

40 173

48 529

34 803

14 511

494 368

480 642

2007

419 689

38 223

47 931

35 486

15 069

520 912

508 467

2008

411 802

36 048

49 424

38 082

15 616

512 890

501 548

2009

419 841

34 352

47 656

32 970

16 150

517 999

503 313

2010

433 688

36 442

48 803

30 890

16 671

535 605

517 691

2011

412 992

40 228

49 169

34 590

17 282

519 670

505 091

2012

425 532

38 955

48 224

25 429

17 866

530 577

507 782

2013

445 187

41 349

49 841

20 609

18 387

554 764

525 532

2014

436 363

41 878

50 269

19 148

18 965

547 475

516 354

2015

429 872

41 882

49 592

19 407

19 533

540 878

510 694

The table below provides the emissions for the base year 2000, the 2012 GHG inventory and the year 2015. It also provides the changes in emissions, in terms of emission levels and percentage, for each of the four sectors.

Sector

Emissions (Gg CO2e)

Increase
2000 to 2015

Increase
2012 to 2015

 

2000

2012

2015

Gg CO2e

%

Gg CO2e

%

Energy

341 494

425 532

429 872

88 377

25,9

4 340

1,0

IPPU

34 071

38 955

41 882

7 812

22,9

2 927

7,5

AFOLU (excl. FOLU)

50 600

48 224

49 592

-1 008

-2,0

1 368

2,8

AFOLU (incl. FOLU)

35 306

25 429

19 407

-15 899

-45,0

-6 022

-23,7

Waste

10 838

17 866

19 533

8 695

80,2

1 667

9,3

Gross total

437 003

530 577

540 878

103 876

23,8

10 302

1,9

Net total

421 709

507 782

510 694

88 985

21,1

2 912

0,6

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