Accelerating the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism in South African industry

Abstract

One of the ways the world has responded to the threat of global warming is by drafting the Kyoto Protocol and the associated Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to reduce greenhouse gases. South Africa is an attractive country for the implementation of industrial CDM projects, yet lags behind many other countries. This research determines the factors that are causing South Africa to lag other developing countries in the implementation of industrial Clean Development Mechanism projects and the interventions that will have the most impact on accelerating the implementation in the future.The exploratory research process involved semi-structured interviews of 30 experts involved in the South African Clean Development Mechanism process. Data collected from the interviews was analysed using content analysis and then quantitative statistical analysis on the resultant frequency table. Clustering was then performed to create a matrix of influencing factors and develop a framework for required intervention.The outcome of the research was the South African CDM matrix which orders all factors influencing the implementation of industrial CDM projects into one of four classifications. Depending on the classification, a proposed intervention method was developed in order to accelerate the implementation of industrial CDM projects in South Africa. If implemented, the matrix will allow CDM practioners to develop an implementation strategy for the implementation of CDM projects within South African industry.