Measuring the Carbon Intensity of the South African Economy

Abstract

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Linkage analysis of sectoral CO2 emissions based on the hypothetical extraction method in South Africa

“…Subsequent studies mainly focus on the implication of carbon tax in the South African economy (Alton et al, 2014), carbon price and energy policy (Hood and Guelff, 2013;Labuschagne et al, 2005), carbon intensity (Arndt et al, 2013), energy efficiency in electric sector (Inglesi-Lotz and Blignaut, 2014), emissions abatement in the machinery manufacturing sector (Pillay and Buys, 2013), and use of heat energy (Devarajan et al, 2011;Dhansay et al, 2014). However, this study analyzes the sectoral carbon linkage in South Africa by building the IO model by introducing carbon intensity, applying the modified HEM model to trace the carbon linkage and transfer among the industrial sectors, and identifying the key emission sectors in South Africa.…”

“…The rapid development of the economy and the extensive consumption of non-renewable fossil resources, which lead to CO 2 emissions, have attracted attention across the world. South Africa is the 14th highest CO 2 emitter globally, having emitted more than 367 million tons (Mt) of CO 2 in 2011 (IEA, 2013), and its per capita of CO 2 emissions is twice the world average (Arndt et al, 2013). Therefore, South Africa has been trapped in the development pattern of high CO 2 emission because of the superiority of coal resources and high subsidies from the government to the energy industry.…”

Exploring Carbon Pricing in Developing Countries: A Macroeconomic Analysis in Ethiopia

“…A version of input-output multiplier analysis, a variant of Leontief [25], that recognizes the fact that activities produce multiple products and products are produced by multiple activities is introduced in Arndt et al [26]. We follow this approach to estimate the carbon content of activities and products in the Ethiopian economy.…”

The Political Economy of Green Growth: Cases From Southern Africa

“…In absolute terms, South Africa was the world's 13th largest GHG‐emitting country in 2007, with per capita emissions similar to those of the European Union, despite having three times lower per capita income (World Bank, ). The country's dirtiness is almost entirely due to its dependence on coal‐based energy, which accounts for 80 per cent of total emissions (Arndt et al ., forthcoming). It is in South Africa's interest to limit climate change because many projections predict worsening climatic conditions for the country.…”

“…It is in South Africa's interest to limit climate change because many projections predict worsening climatic conditions for the country. By not curbing emissions, South Africa also undermines its position in global forums and faces the threat of retaliatory trade policies from countries that do reduce their emissions (Arndt et al ., forthcoming).…”