The relatively low value of carbon tax in South Africa, and numerous allowances that government made available in year one of the Carbon Tax Act’s implementation, which took effect in June 2019, have resulted in there being little incentive currently for solar energy, technology company EDS Systems business development head Eckart Zollner tells Engineering News. The carbon tax initially applies only to scope 1 emitters in the first phase of the carbon tax roll-out, from June 1, 2019, to December 31, 2022. Scope 1 emitters are those who are responsible for direct emissions from an owned or controlled source – such as those produced by burning fossil fuels. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions that have resulted from the generation of purchased energy and these will be taxed in the second phase of the roll-out, from 2023 to 2030.
