South Africa – climate and energy statistics
Posted in National and regional statistics on 08/21/2009 05:04 pm by Stephen Tindale
Total national greenhouse gas emissions as a percentage of global total, 2004 figures
1%
Historical contribution – 1850 to 2000
1%
Change in annual greenhouse gas emissions since 1990
+20%
(See econsense: Fact Sheet Climate Policy.)
2005 per capita annual greenhouse gas emissions
9 tonnes
Energy used per unit of GDP (compared to USA)
135.9%
Balance of energy sources, 2008
| % | |
| Coal | 71.25 |
| Oil | 13 |
| Renewables* | 10.5 |
| Gas | 3 |
| Nuclear | 2.5 |
| Hydro | 0.1 |
* Almost all non-commercial use of biomass.
Energy security
South Africa has the world’s sixth largest coal reserves, but no significant oil or gas. Due to the apartheid-era sanctions, it began turning coal into liquid fuel, which is an extremely climate-damaging process.
Electricity generated in 2008
| % | |
| Coal | 93 |
| Nuclear | 5 |
| Hydro | 1.5 |
| Biomass | 0.1 |
| Wind | 0.01 |
| Solar PV | 0.01 |
Electricity – supply and demand
South Africa has a serious shortage of electricity, partly due to economic expansion, partly because 80% of South Africans are now connected to the electricity grid (see South Africa and climate change) and party because electricity prices are kept extremely low (see National Response to South Africa’s Electricity Shortage).
Percentage of agriculture certified as organic
0.05% (though much more will in fact be free of artificial pesticides and fertiliser, but not certified).
Cars per thousand of population
146