Industry News

CAPE TOWN, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Petrochemicals group Sasol SOLJ and electricity firm Eskom [ESCJ.UL] topped the list of South Africa's largest polluters, according to the country's 2009 Carbon Disclosure Project report.

The report, which targeted South Africa's 100 largest listed companies, said a few carbon-intensive companies dominated the country's carbon footprint. State-owned Eskom is not listed, but gave information voluntarily.

Emissions at Eskom, one of the world's top three single polluters, stood at 220 million tonnes.

Sasol, the world's largest maker of motor fuels from coal, spewed some 70.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere last year in South Africa alone.

The country's total emissions are seen at around 440 million tonnes, in line with its rank as the 12th top polluter globally.

"Greenhouse gas emission reporting by industries will soon be mandatory in South Africa and non compliance shall be met by penalties," Buyelwa Sonjica, South Africa's Water and Environmental Affairs Minister said in the report.

South Africa sees the country's emissions peaking between 2020-2025, stabilising for a decade before falling towards 2050.

Energy and material sectors remained the country's largest emitting industries, collectively contributing more than 90 percent of the country's emissions, particularly hit by South Africa's heavy reliance on coal-fired power plants.

Moves to diversify the country's energy mix away from coal have been slow, especially as Eskom struggles to meet fast rising demand in Africa's biggest economy.

Nedbank Group (NEDJ.J: Quote) came first among the 100 listed companies in the report's carbon disclosureleadership index, for outstanding disclosure practices. Industrial conglomerate Bidvest Group Ltd (BVTJ.J: Quote) was joint second with food and clothing retailer Woolworths (WHLJ.J: Quote).

Launched in 2000, the Carbon Disclosure Project has, on behalf of institutional investors, challenged the world's largest companies to measure and report their carbon emissions. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; editing by Sue Thomas)