Industries have committed to counterbalancing the impact of their industrial emissions by reducing air pollution in poorer areas via air quality offset programmes, according to SRK Consulting (South Africa).
“Low-income communities located around large industries in the Highveld and the Vaal Triangle are currently the main focus of these programmes, as they have been severely affected by air pollution,” said Vis Reddy, Chairman and Principal Environmental Geochemist at SRK Consulting (South Africa).
Reddy explained that this was due to a long legacy of reliance on fossil fuels in these communities, combined with pollution from ageing industries that were unable to comply with the Section 23 Minimum Emission Standards (MES) that were promulgated under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 39 of 2004 (NEM: AQA).
Some companies have received an extension of the timeframe for certain plants to comply with the Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for specific emissions per activity. “However, this is contingent on them submitting a plan detailing how they will achieve compliance in the future. Additionally, the operators of such activities must prepare and submit a mitigation strategy to compensate for the relaxation of compliance with the MES. One available option is the implementation of interventions through air quality offsets," said Reddy.
Cleaner Air in Low-Income Areas
He said research was underway into various ways of offsetting their emissions by improving air quality in poor communities, as prescribed by the Air Quality Offsets Guidelines under section 24J (a) of NEMA.
“The focus is on replacing traditional fuel sources used in these areas with cleaner fuels and energy sources, while also implementing measures that will reduce fuel and energy consumption, especially in the cold winter months. During this period, communities use more coal to heat poorly insulated houses, resulting in a marked increase in air pollution,” he says.
Considering the role that solar energy can play in addressing energy poverty in poorer communities in South Africa and other countries on the continent, it also presents a promising solution for air quality offset programmes.
“Solar micro-grids, for example, are especially suited to small remote communities and can supply a larger number of users, including schools and small businesses. They can be also easily incorporated into reconstruction and development programme (RDP) housing designs to power entire households.”
With their potential to power direct current lights, radios and small televisions for about five hours a day, solar home systems are also ideally suited to low-income areas, especially communities without access to municipal electricity supply.
