Tag: carbon emissions

As the world’s second largest continent, the vast expanse Africa lends itself to remote operations, often hundreds of kilometres away from civilisation and the hub of infrastructure and supply such as energy. Industries like mining, minerals and metals often must contend with considerable energy loss or high transportation costs of diesel (for self-generation) due to these vast distances.

Although decarbonising an investment portfolio is a multi-faceted, multi-stage exercise, it needn’t be complicated. Adding the dimension of sustainability – in this case, decarbonisation – to your portfolio construction process does not mean changing your approach entirely.

Climate change poses risks to economies, companies, and investments. It is an important focus for us as active owners of assets on behalf of our clients. Many companies are carefully considering their exposure to climate risk and outlining their decarbonisation ambitions. What role can active ownership play in this, while also protecting and enhancing the value of investments?

When you hear the word ‘carbon emissions’, images of towering chimneys at coal-fired plants, endless motor vehicles on the highway, and large-scale manufacturing facilities may come to mind. But have you ever considered the environmental impact of your company laptop? Research shows that 3.7% of carbon emissions, also known as global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), are caused by digital technologies.

Mining is a historically linear process – we take materials from the earth, make products from them and eventually throw them away as waste. With the intensification of climate change, environmental degradation, pollution – all products of linear economies – the mining industry needs to transition to a circular economy.

As the global energy landscape undergoes a transformative shift, hydrogen emerges as a compelling substitute for traditional fossil fuels, poised to play a pivotal role in the evolving energy transition. With the energy transition market valued at US$183 billion in 2022 and anticipated to surge to US$317 billion by 2032, hydrogen stands out as a key player in this dynamic evolution.

As the world becomes increasingly digital and a shift by organisations to pursue generative AI, a shift is taking place within boardrooms. CIOs are now fulfilling more strategic roles to drive digital transformation and sustainability.

South Africa has experienced severe load shedding (i.e. controlled/scheduled power cuts), almost daily, since September 2022. This recent spike and high frequency of load shedding can be largely attributed to a significant drop in Energy Availability Factor of the coal fleet that has not been optimally maintained due to several  factors.

As the world becomes increasingly focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives, IT departments are actively driving sustainability efforts. According to Enterprise Strategy Group research, a significant majority (93%) of IT decision makers consider a supplier's ESG programme when making IT purchasing decisions.

The construction sector must not be overlooked in the drive towards achieving net zero. While sectors such as industrial manufacturing, mining and fossil fuel power generation tend to grab more headlines, the construction of buildings and infrastructure accounts for approximately 7 Gt CO2e, or 20% of global carbon emissions, where 4 Gt CO2e is associated with the materials used for construction.