Comments sought on greenhouse gas inventory

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The inventory was published for public comment by the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, on 6 June 2014 in Gazette No 37701.

A draft report on the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory for South Africa was received by Cabinet on 26 June 2014.

The report is in line with the United National Framework convention on Climate Change, which South Africa ratified in 1997.

According to this convention, countries are meant submit their progress reports every two years. The current draft report has been released for public comment. It will be finalised to be ready for submission later in the year.

In 2011, the Department of Environmental Affairs initiated a process to develop South Africa's fourth national GHG inventory covering the period 2000 to 2010. The objective of the work is to ensure that South Africa has an understanding of both its emissions profile and the key drivers of change in emissions.

South Africa has to report its National GHG emissions as part of its Biennial Update Report by December 2014. The Biennial Update Report also includes the measures for mitigate climate change and identifies the constraints and gaps that exist in order to mitigate climate change.

The first national GHG inventory in South Africa was prepared in 1998, using 1990 data. It was updated to include 1994 data and published in 2004. Both, the 1990 and the 2004 reports were developed using the 1996 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.

The GHG Inventory for South Africa 2000-2010 documents South Africa's GHG emission trends for that period. The reporting of these emissions is in line with the new 2006 guidelines of the IPCC. The utilisation of the 2006 IPCC guidelines was to ensure that the GHG inventory report is accurate, consistent, complete and transparent.

Comments on the inventory may be addressed as follows:

Hand deliver to:

Director: Climate Change Monitoring and Evaluation
Branch: Climate Change and Air Quality Management
Attention: Mr Jongikhaya Witi
Fedsure Forum, Corner Lilian Ngoyi and Pretorius Streets,
Pretoria
0002

By post to:

Director: Climate Change Monitoring and Evaluation
Branch: Climate Change and Air Quality Management
Attention: Mr Jongikhaya Witi
Private Bag X447
Pretoria
0001