Business Talk – Discovery Green’s Andre Nepgen explains the impact of carbon taxes on South African businesses

In this Business Talk with Michael Avery, Discovery Green’s Andre Nepgen discusses the impact of rising carbon taxes on South African businesses.

Nepgen is the Head of Discovery Green – an energy platform created by Discovery to connect local businesses to clean power generated by utility-scale renewable plants.

Prior to this, he served as Head of the Global Vitality Network for six years, and Executive Associate at Discovery for nine years.

Nepgen holds an Honours degree in Business and Actuarial Sciences from the University of Cape Town.

The interview

In this Business Talk interview, Nepgen discusses the impact of rising carbon taxes on local businesses.

He explains that continued reliance on carbon-intensive power generation methods will lead to these businesses taking even more financial strain in the future.

Nepgen unpacks how this is particularly true for South African businesses with international operations – as their carbon tax challenges aren’t limited to only local rules and regulations.

He then provides insight into the role the South African government can play in helping local businesses handle the financial impact of carbon taxes.

Nepgen also discusses the viability of investing in renewable energy sources given the large capital outlay required, and concludes the interview by explaining how Discovery Green helps businesses obtain renewable energy at an affordable rate.

Watch the full interview with Andre Nepgen below.