South Africa is ahead of its target for cutting emissions of greenhouse gases.<\/p>\n
Output of the climate-warming gases from the world\u2019s 14th-biggest emitter is already falling even though its Nationally Determined Contribution, a target adopted by the cabinet in 2021, only forecast a decline from 2025.<\/p>\n
Regular breakdowns of the coal-fired power plants that supply more than 80% of South Africa\u2019s electricity mean that less carbon dioxide is being pumped into the atmosphere and daily rotational cuts of more than 10 hours a day are further limiting emissions from factories.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s unintentional,\u201d Crispian Olver, the executive director of South Africa\u2019s Presidential Climate Commission, said in an interview in Johannesburg on Monday. \u201cWe reckon we are well within the range\u201d of meeting the 2030 target, he said.<\/p>\n
South Africa aims to reduce its emissions to between 350 and 420 megatons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, bettering a target set in 2015 of emitting between 398 and 614 megatons by that date.<\/p>\n
The 2021 goal was key to South Africa securing pledges of $8.5 billion in climate finance from some of the world\u2019s richest nations.<\/p>\n
If the decommissioning dates of some coal-fired plants are pushed back it will make little difference to emissions as they produce little electricity in any event, he said.<\/p>\n
Keeping them open for another \u201cyear or two is neither here nor there,\u201d Olver said on an earlier webinar. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to recommend the decommissioning of power stations in the middle of an energy crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n