Switch to Low-Carbon Emissions Economy 'Urgent' for South Africa

A new report predicts South Africa's hydrogen economy could add between U.S.$3.9 billion and U.S.$8.8 billion to the country's GDP by 2050. Not to mention thousands of jobs, writes Sasha Planting for Daily Maverick.

The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, Anglo American, Bambili Energy, Engie and the SA National Energy Development Institute collaborated on a study to find ways to transform South Africa's bushveld complex, and a larger region between the cities of Johannesburg and Durban, into a hydrogen valley. "Hydrogen can play a key role in providing us with cleaner energy and can help us to optimise our own operations and achieve our goal of carbon neutrality across all Anglo operations by 2040," said Natascha Viljoen, CEO of Anglo Platinum Mine.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country must urgently reduce its carbon and greenhouse gas emissions or risk experiencing negative social and economic consequences. Ramaphosa added that the impact of climate change is already felt in some South Africans' quality of life through drought and flooding. "Several communities in Mpumalanga province, for example, are affected by high levels of pollution, which increases respiratory illness and other diseases. Those who are dependent on the ocean for a living have already seen depleted fish stocks amid changing weather patterns and changes in ocean temperature," he said.