The clean development mechanism’s contribution towards sustainable development in South Africa : the Bisasar Landfill case study

Abstract

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was established under Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol to assist developed countries (countries listed in Annex I of the Protocol) to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by investing in carbon-offset projects within developing countries. Therefore, the dual-objectives of the CDM are firstly, to provide an economically viable platform for developed countries to reduce their GHG emissions whilst, secondly, to promote sustainable development within developing countries (UNFCCC, 1998:11). The aim of this mini-dissertation is to critically analyze the CDM’s contribution to sustainable development in South Africa. In order to do so, an extensive literature review was conducted to ascertain the general sentiment behind the CDM’s contributions to sustainable development in South Africa and abroad. Furthermore, a case study was undertaken whereby the Bisasar Landfill project was analyzed to provide tangible evidence on the extent to which CDM projects can, and do, contribute to South Africa’s interpretation of sustainable development. The case study was conducted in accordance with the methodology first devised by Christoph Sutter (2003) during his PhD, whereby he assessed the extent to which CDM projects contribute to sustainable development in the host country. However, whereas Sutter mainly relied on the Project Design Documents (PDDs) to assess these projects, this mini-dissertation will aggregate the opinions of experts with personal and relevant experience of the Bisasar Landfill project, in order to assess its sustainable development contributions. Using a structured questionnaire, the respondents scored the Bisasar Landfill project according to its social, environmental and economic impacts. The results from these questionnaires were then aggregated and represented graphically. These findings were then evaluated against the literature review to form a more holistic and evidence-based assessment of how the CDM has, and might still, contribute to sustainable development in South Africa. The evidence from this mini-dissertation suggests that the CDM has had a net-positive impact on sustainable development within South Africa. However, there remains room for improvement on how carbon-offset projects are vetted and monitored, as some negative impacts were revealed. With the carbon tax and preceding carbon offset regulations imminent, it thus remains important that the relevant authorities formulate effective ways in which to promote and regulate the development of carbon-offset projects in South Africa. This could then further facilitate the transition towards a low-carbon economy whilst simultaneously promoting sustainable development.