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South Africa and UAE are Sustainability Leaders

Location: News
Agility

South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are doing the most to combat climate change in the Middle East and Africa, according to a new report that compares government and business sustainability policies, investment and actions.

Download document: (https://apo-opa.co/49FTzKm)

The Middle East and Africa Environmental Sustainability Scorecard (https://apo-opa.co/49Bcfeq), released Thursday, is ta detailed examination  of country performance in environmental sustainability outcomes, government policies, and corporate practices in the two regions.

The report concludes that the 17 countries covered “are relative ‘late comers' to global sustainable development but at the same time represent regions that are rapidly stepping-up their sustainability strategies, programs and investments.”

The report was commissioned by Agility (www.Agility.com), a global supply chain services company based in Kuwait. It was compiled by Horizon Group (www.Horizon-Group.ch), a Geneva-based firm that specializes in research and analysis for governments, international organizations, and leading businesses worldwide.

South Africa is among the leaders in four of six pillar categories. It is 2nd in Sustainable Energy & Transport; 5th in Energy Transition; 2nd in Environmental Ecosystems; and 2nd in Circularity. Among African countries, South Africa is 3rd in Green Investment & Technology behind Morocco and Egypt.

Among the factors driving South Africa's performance: a national Biofuel Industrial Strategy; formal code of corporate governance; ESG reporting requirements and transparency and accountability standards for companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange; a World Bank energy transition partnership to decommission a coal-fired power plant and replace the power supply with renewable energy and batteries; and steps to protect habitat and cut pollution.  

Egypt ranks 3rd overall in the scorecard. It is 5th in Green Investment & Technology; 7th in Sustainable Infrastructure & Transport; 5th in Governance & Reporting; 3rd in Environmental Ecosystems; and 1st in Circularity, which measures resource use and waste management.

A food security and African displacement launched by Egypt contributed to its ranking, along with its participation in a Qatar-led carbon credit program.

Other top performers in Africa: Morocco is 3rd in Green Investment & Technology and 3rd in Governance & Reporting; Rwanda and Kenya are 5th and 6th in Sustainable Infrastructure & Transport.

African countries dominate the energy transition, mainly on the strength of their green transport and energy conservation efforts. Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Mozambique, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt and Morocco are Nos. 1 through 11 in Energy Transition.The scorecard uses 48 performance and progress indicators to compare countries. The indicators include data, regulatory frameworks, policy assessments, incentives and corporate practices across six pillar areas: green investment and technology; sustainable infrastructure and transport; governance and reporting; energy transition; environmental ecosystems; and circularity. To capture corporate practices and progress, Horizon surveyed 647 business executives in the 17 countries.

Overall, 1 through 17, here's how the countries rank: South Africa, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Morocco, Qatar, Tanzania, Nigeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Cote d'Ivoire, Oman, Mozambique.

Key Findings

• Business isn't paying attention to COP. Eighty-two percent of African businesses and 49% of Middle East businesses are not aware of the UN-led COP process that nations are using to push and measure efforts to tackle climate change. Few companies use COP to set their sustainability targets.

• Climate change is hurting businesses. Ninety-seven percent of companies say their business has been affected by climate change, and 49% say climate change has caused “severe damage” or has a “significant and growing” impact on them.

• Governments are leading as businesses play catch up. When it comes to climate action, governments are outpacing the private sector in both the Middle East and Africa. 

• No one size fits all. Different countries have different sustainability priorities based on income, economic strengths, energy dependency, and other factors. High-income, energy-producing Gulf countries generally invest more in sustainable infrastructure and ecosystems. African economies perform best in energy conservation and consumption.

• Green investment is expensive. High- and middle-income countries are investing the most: Qatar, UAE, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. 

• Africa is focused on green transport. African countries topped the scorecard in the move to non-fossil fuels for transport. Hydrocarbon producing Gulf countries are focused more on green buildings. For Gulf countries, the transition to cleaner energy is complicated by energy-intensive national priorities: the desire to boost manufacturing and the need for desalinated water.

• Waste management, consumption are tied to wealth. High-income countries are doing more to manage waste sustainably. Poorer ones do more to constrain consumption. Overall Egypt, South Africa, Bahrain and UAE perform best in “circularity” – cutting waste, encouraging recycling and sustainable production, and lowering consumption.

Agility was recently named the No. 3 Middle East “Sustainability Leader” for Transport & Logistics by Forbes Middle East. Vice Chairman Tarek Sultan said the company's strategy and investment decisions are increasingly shaped by the urgency of the climate fight.

“As a supply chain operator and investor in the Middle East and Africa, we want to know what governments and businesses are prioritizing, and where they're putting resources in the climate change battle,” Sultan said. “We want to know who we can partner with in green infrastructure and transport, alternative fuels, and supply chain services that reduce environmental impact without sacrificing performance.”

Horizon, which compiled the scorecard report for Agility, said its intent was to look “beyond the selective characteristics of the Middle East being fossil fuel-dependent with high greenhouse gas emissions per capita, and African countries being low emitters of greenhouse gases but taking relatively little action on the environment.”

The scorecard report comes on the eve of COP28, the UN-led global climate change conference convening from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai. Its findings amplify those in a World Economic Forum (WEF) report (https://apo-opa.co/3MKvh8d), issued in October, on decarbonization and energy transition in the Middle East and North Africa.

The WEF report concluded that “MENA countries trail behind comparable regions in terms of their sustainability progress. While local governments have pledged in the past 24 months to bring 60% of MENA's emissions under the net zero ambition, businesses overall have yet to follow suit and bridge the gap with comparable global markets –12% have set up a net zero target and 6% have established a roadmap to reach net zero.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Agility.

Media contact:
Sabrina Mundy
Man Bites Dog
teamagility@manbitesdog.com
+44 1273 716 820

For more information about Agility, visit:
Website: www.Agility.com
Twitter: https://apo-opa.co/40Ki6Kj  
LinkedIn: https://apo-opa.co/49GTqqq
YouTube: https://apo-opa.co/3MNqYJr

About Agility:
Agility (www.Agility.com) is a global leader in supply chain services, infrastructure, and innovation with 45,000+ employees across six continents. A multi-business operator and investor, Agility specializes in growing and scaling operating businesses. Agility's companies include the world's largest aviation services company (Menzies Aviation); a global fuel logistics business (Tristar); a leading logistics parks developer and operator across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa (Agility Logistics Parks); and a commercial real-estate company developing a mega-mall in the UAE (UPAC). Other Agility companies offer customs digitization services, remote-site infrastructure services, defense and government services, and ecommerce-enablement and digital logistics. Agility invests in supply chain innovation, sustainability, and resilience, and has minority holdings in a growing portfolio of listed and non-listed companies. 

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Eskom’s Hex Battery Energy Storage System is a step in the correct direction

Location: News

Eskom's Hex Battery Energy Storage System is a step in the right direction

Projects like Eskom’s Hex Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Worcester in the Western Cap can assist the country in ending load shedding.

This is according to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan who said these kinds of projects create hope that sooner rather than later, South Africa is going to overcome the challenge of load shedding. 

Minister Gordhan was delivering remarks at the launch of Eskom’s Battery Energy Storage System at the Hex substation in the Breede Valley Municipality.

The project – which was launched on Thursday - is a first in Africa. 

“If we do more of these kinds of projects in other parts of the country, which is what Eskom intends to do, we will see the end of load shedding pretty soon. Today, after a few hiccups, you see in live form, the launch of this BESS project right in front of us. It is a great achievement for Eskom and the country. 

“Eskom is demonstrating that it can have a sense of urgency, it can have an important quality that we all need in South Africa and elsewhere – which is the ability to innovate and create new ways of doing things. And not just think about them, but concretely deliver them. That is the key,” the Minister said. 

BESS is a giant step in the right direction to support the Just Energy Transition (JET) programme for boosting green energy as a renewable alternative source. As renewable energy begins to grow, so does the demand for the installation of Battery Energy Storage Systems.

The Hex battery storage project is the first part of Eskom’s Battery Energy Storage System rollout scheduled for construction in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Easter Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Through these kinds of projects, the Minister said, the country will grow economically and be able to create more jobs. 

“We are going to get more investments, not just in the Western Cape but the whole country. Our younger people can look toward to a much better life than those of us that have lived through the last few decades.

“So, this is an opportunity to demonstrate to our own people and citizens, and the globe, that South Africans are innovative, and can deliver world class solutions like the one that we actually see today,” he said. 

The Minister emphasised that it is important that focus is placed on what is best for the country, and what is best for the people of the country, and not for the few individuals who want to become rich as a result of these projects. 

Quoting the recent Census results, Gordhan said that there are 62 million people who must be beneficiaries of these sorts of projects and of the work that is being done. 

The Minister reiterated government’s aim which is to have enough electricity or energy security in this country.

“So, there must be a reserve, just like you have in a savings account for a day when you need some cash. In the same way, you need an energy savings account because you don’t know when you are going to need extra energy. 

“Right now, we have a shortage. We need to get to a point where we have a surplus. And we need to continue keeping that surplus. And Eskom as an institution is going to play a crucial part in developing that surplus through the investment of the private sector in renewables and other forms of energy,” the Minister said. 

He explained that the 120 battery banks cost a fair amount of money - R830 million - and during the construction 255 residents of the greater Worcester area were employed. 

He said they must take the experience and the lessons that will be learnt from this project and use it elsewhere, to make whatever changes that are necessary to have more successful projects in the remaining provinces. 

Minister Gordhan extended his gratitude to the funders. He said that without the concessional funding that they have for Eskom from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and the New Development Bank, they would not have been able to prosecute this project.

He also thanked Hyosung Heavy Industries, who supplied the batteries. The Minister further thanked Eskom for thinking about this idea and for researching the idea. - SAnews.gov.za

 

DikelediM
Fri, 11/10/2023 - 10:40

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President Ramaphosa calls for substantial lengthening of AGOA

Location: News

President Ramaphosa calls for substantial lengthening of AGOA

An extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for a longer period of time can act as an instrument to entice investors to pour more resources into the African continent.

“We would like you to look at the extension or renewal of AGOA for a sufficiently lengthy period for it to act as an incentive for investors to build new factories on the African continent.

“As we were going around talking to a number of product producers, the recurring message and word I heard is ‘we can do more…if this opportunity is extended and we can build more capacity if we have certainty that yes, the period of extension will be longer’.

“Shorter periods of extension impede investment ambitions and we therefore want to see a much lengthier period of extension. The United States and Africa… are going to be here for a long time. We are here for the long haul so let us make AGOA a long haul opportunity for all of us,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa at the opening of the AGOA Forum, currently underway at Nasrec in Johannesburg.

The President reflected on the successes that have been made under AGOA for African countries.

“When excluding exports of crude oil under AGOA, the data show that the programme has substantially improved the export competitiveness of certain African products, especially textiles and apparel.

“Apparel exports from Lesotho, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Madagascar and Kenya have not only led to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs but these countries have become reliable producers for American consumers.

“Other parts of manufacturing have also seen success under AGOA. South Africa’s auto exports to the United States under AGOA have contributed to job creation in South Africa and in the auto supply chain within neighbouring countries.

“We value the relationship with the United States, the world’s largest national market, and a country with which we have relationships that go well beyond trade. The African Growth and Opportunity Act – or AGOA – has served as the cornerstone of the US-Africa commercial relationship for more than two decades,” President Ramaphosa said.

Africa on the rise

President Ramaphosa told the forum that trading has been in the DNA of Africans for thousands of years – predating colonial oppression.

“From earlier times, our forebears were already trading not only within Africa but with the rest of the world. They traded right across the continent… but they also traded with the world. Trading is part of our DNA; it is in our blood and it is this trading that we want to modernise and we look for partners to support us in this development as we modernise our trading practices and relations,” he said.

As the continent continues to modernise its trading, it is moving away from being a supplier of raw materials to a producer of ready-made consumer products.

“Africa is an important source of critical raw materials but we do not want to be defined by simply being the producers of commodities. The great industrial opportunity lies instead in the transformation of the rocks that we mine and the metal that we produce into the sophisticated industrial and consumer goods that societies across the world need.

“Gone should be the days when Africa is just seen as a source of rock, soil and dust being exported out of our continent. We now want to produce the products that are finished or near finished, which are utilised in other parts of the world. We want to earn full value for our products,” he said.

President Ramaphosa said he remains concerned about the negative effects that trade restrictions on products like steel, aluminium or citrus fruit have on AGOA utilisation rates.

“We hope that the discussions at this forum will help lay the basis for these to be addressed in future.”

The President said more targeted efforts to promote greater levels of investment can help to unlock AGOA’s opportunities.

The purpose of the forum is to discuss ways to expand trade and investment relations between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa, and the implementation of AGOA, including encouraging joint ventures between small and large businesses. - SAnews.gov.za

 

NeoB
Fri, 11/03/2023 - 13:07

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Excitement Builds for the Killarney Motor Display as Motul Prepares to Shine

Location: MyPR

The Killarney Motor Show, scheduled for Sunday 5 November 2023 at the renowned Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town, promises an adrenaline-packed experience like never before. Leading automotive lubricant brand, Motul, is set to take the event by storm with thrilling partnerships that demonstrate their exceptional product range. Visitors to the Motul stand can look …

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Do More Foundations Does More

Location: News

The DO MORE FOUNDATION (DMF) has enlisted employee volunteers to make a tangible difference that stretches further than World Food Day (Monday 16 October). With the theme ‘Water is Life, Water is Food, Leave No One Behind’, DMF launched their October plan of planting veggie gardens, making warm chicken meals and installing JoJo tanks at …

Read moreDo More Foundations Does More