The role of gas on path to net zero

The role of gas in South Africa’s future energy mix in the context of our Paris and Glasgow commitments to reduce our carbon emissions on a pathway to net zero by 2050 is stirring some heated debate. In response to this imperative, the National Business Initiative, together with Business Unity South Africa and the Boston Consulting Group has worked with corporate leaders to assess whether the pathways exist for the country’s economic sectors to decarbonise by 2050.

Recently it released its third report in the series, focusing on the role of gas in South Africa’s path to net-zero. Academics argue that pursuing gas could lead to stranded assets while critics rebuff that we cannot ignore the economic realities of energy security and ignore potential resource endowments that could bring massive economic benefit if responsibly exploited. As always with these energy debates its complicated and the truth generally resides somewhere between those two poles. ​ Keshlan Mudaly, Principal – Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is one of the report’s authors and joins our roundtable along with Craig Morkel, Chair of SAOGA‘s Gas Economy Leadership Group and CEO of iKapa Energy & Jarredine Morris, Senior Manager at The Carbon Trust