Clean Development Mechanism : is it a tool to promote the use of renewable energy in South Africa?
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Date
2013
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Abstract
Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and environmental pollution have all
become buzzwords of our time. The awareness in recent years of the degradation of the
planet by prioritising economic gain has allowed for open debate about the way the planet
is being affected by development. However, there is wide consensus that development
cannot be stopped or slowed down, but may be conducted in a sustainable way.
The aim of this research is to investigate the role of Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM) as a tool to promote the use of renewable energy in South Africa. The Kyoto
Protocol was adopted in 1997, which stipulated that developed nations of the world would
take on emission reduction targets to reduce their GHG emissions by five percent below
1990 levels. These emissions will be evaluated by the CDM Executive Board at the end of
2012 and penalties are payable should countries not meet their stipulated targets. South
Africa is defined as a country (under CDM) which is eligible for hosting CDM projects,
and does not have emission reduction targets. This research aims to explore the barriers to
the successful implementation of CDM projects in South Africa, with a particular focus on
renewable energy projects.
In order to address the research problem, the theory of ecological modernisation (Mol,
1995; Hajer, 1995; Christoff, 1996) is applied to analyse the policy decisions around
renewable energy, thus highlighting areas that need attention in order to make significant
changes in the climate change policy decisions prevailing at the time of the study.
Ecological modernisation is a policy orientated discourse which describes environmental
issues in a particular manner. In the developing country context of South Africa, a case of
weak ecological modernisation has been established (Christoff, 1996; Scott and Oelofse,
2005; Blowers and Pain, 1999). This is in part due to the weak participatory approach
which has been adopted by government.
This study had found that South Africa has robust and progressive policies in terms of
environmental management and renewable energy. However, the area in which it seems to
be failing is implementation. The results of this study show that CDM is not popular in
South Africa due to a host of reasons. Funding and lack of implementation of projects
seem to be the key factors. Eskom’s relatively low electricity price still hinders the wide
spread implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
This study concludes that CDM projects have not succeeded in South Africa due to the
bureaucratic process that CDM projects need to undergo coupled with the two issues
mentioned above (funding and relatively cheap electricity). This is completely different
compared to its other developing country counterparts like India, China and Brazil. This
study was conducted at a time when the Kyoto Protocol was nearing its end. Should the
agreement not be extended, it would be a lost opportunity for South Africa in terms of
gaining technology transfer from the developed world as well as much needed funding for
climate change projects.
Description
Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.
Keywords
Renewable Energy Project., Environmental management--South Africa., Renewable energy sources--South Africa., Theses--Geography.