Sasol held accountable in global climate strike

Protests for climate justice were held across the globe on 20 September and Sandton was no different.

People protested in front of Sasol headquarters in Sandton for climate justice.

According to Jane Cheery of the grassroots development organisation, Cooperative and Policy Alternative Centre (Copac), Sasol ranks number 45 on the list of 100 companies that account for the highest carbon emissions.

“For over 20 years, fossil fuel corporations like Sasol have been let off the hook and have been allowed to continue extracting, burning and selling carbon products. This has been done with complete disregard of the climate science and lived realities of communities affected,” she alleged.

Alex Anderson, Sasol senior manager of group external communication, said the energy company had remained committed to playing its part in transitioning to a ‘lower-carbon economy’.

“We are in the process of developing a carbon reduction road map, based on scenario analysis and will set out our carbon reduction ambitions, which will be communicated at our November 2020 Capital Markets Day,” Anderson added.

But Sasol’s efforts remain under scrutiny.

In Copac’s memorandum which Cheery read out to two Sasol executives, there was a reference to a ‘green coal’ project which Sasol is working on to better improve their environmental impact.

Apparently, Sasol together with northwest University, will use coal stored in slime ponds and combine it with grass and animal waste to produce charcoal thus producing ‘clean coal’.

“We demand Sasol and northwest University desist from misleading the country and the world with this ‘false solution’,” read Cheery from the memorandum. “Such techno-fixes include carbon in the extraction process of the coal, when transporting the coal, making the product and even when it is burned.”

Another aim of the protest was to get the attention of government but according to youth activist Anna Conradie, this will not be easy as Sasol is one of the largest taxpayers in South Africa. “Government will not hold them accountable if it means ‘losing out’,” claimed Conradie.

Parliament earlier this year implemented a carbon tax to reduce carbon emissions but Conradie added that it was not suitable as it would take 13 years to fully implement it.

However, Sasol was due to reflecting on its Climate Change report later next month which Anderson hoped ‘will reflect on some of the actions taken based on our [Sasol’s] early scenario and robustness testing analysis.’

Climate activists were, however, ready to get things done. “We will be back next year to assess your progress,” activist Natalie Kapsosideris told the Sasol executives.

Related articles:

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/video_of_the_day/joburgtoday-workshop-climate-change/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/214375/major-un-report-warns-12-years-left-curb-climate-change/