Saving Energy

From my Inbox:

As discussed, the National Energy Efficiency Campaign’s microsite, www.savingenergy.co.za, has been live for three months now. It isn’t an SA green blog but rather an online portal that links up all of the information that already exists on the internet about saving energy in South Africa.

Quick facts:

· South Africa holds the number 11 spot on the top 20 greenhouse gas emitters list, contributing 1.8% of global emissions and is responsible for 42% of Africa's emissions

· The load shedding that took place in 2008 cost the South African economy somewhere in the region of R50-billion

· The SA government introduced the National Energy Efficiency Campaign to increase awareness about the need to save energy

· The SA community has a growing interest in doing their part to save energy

· In three months, nearly 350 people have signed on online pledge to save energy

Background:

In March 2009 the National Energy Efficiency Campaign launched a microsite www.savingenergy.co.za to provide South Africa with a wealth of information that aims to educate South Africa about the energy crisis and provide useful tips to improve energy consumption from the home to the office.

Over the past three months the site has attracted many visitors from across the country (and a few from beyond our borders) with nearly 350 people declaring that they will do their part to save energy by signing the pledge at http://www.savingenergy.co.za/pledge/index.php.

How it can work for you:

The microsite aims to include a comprehensive listing of energy-relevant websites at http://www.savingenergy.co.za/explore/index.php. If you would like us to add your website to our listing, you can send us a short blurb and we will be happy to list you.

The site also has an abundance of information that is available for you to use such as facts and figures, an energy addiction quiz, and downloadable audits for home and business all can be found at http://www.savingenergy.co.za/recovery/index.php

We are also early awaiting the launch of the saveit game that will be available on the site within the next few weeks. The game aims to help kids aged 10-14 to learn about saving energy in a fun way. Watch this space for the launch.

Finally (and most importantly) we would like to invite you to take the Energy Savers Pledge. We are trying to grow a list of people who will publicly commit themselves to conquering their “energy addictions”. We hope that you will join this list.

Manuel's Greenery

Min Manuel's Budget Speech, delivered 11 Feb, highlights a continued focus on improving South Africa's environmental performance. Here are a the few extracts dealing with incentives for energy efficiency, environmental fiscal reform and favourable tax treatment on carbon credits:

A further R1 billion is added for electricity demand management, together with tax incentives for investment in energy- 

efficient technologies. 

Tax tips continue to make up the majority of the tips submitted. Mr. Saul Margolis of 

Johannesburg called for a tax to be imposed on incandescent light bulbs to encourage 

people to use compact fluorescent lightbulbs and save energy. Mr. Margolis, I have 

asked that this be included in the revenue proposals this year.  

We propose taking further steps to encourage energy efficiency and reduce harmful 

emissions, some of which have tax implications. 

• An incentive for investments by companies in energy-efficient equipment will be 

introduced, in the form of a supplementary depreciation allowance.  

• The levy on plastic shopping bags will be increased from 3 cents to 4 cents. 

• An increase is proposed in the international air passenger departure tax, which was 

last raised in 2005/06.  

• The existing excise duties on motor vehicles will be adjusted to take into account 

carbon emissions. 

It is important, furthermore that we should encourage South African companies to take 

advantage of the clean development mechanism established in the Kyoto Protocol. A 

favourable tax treatment will therefore be introduced for the recognition of income 

derived from the sale of emission reductions, as certified through this mechanism.