I found this article from Business Day really interesting. Take a look.

Johannesburg:

IT IS a truism that South African companies have not been falling over themselves to get into the carbon trading market. When the certified emission reduction credits were first mooted, it seemed an easy way to make money from smog. After all SA suffers from considerable carbon emissions. If in doubt, consider that 90% of our electricity comes the combustion of coal.

So why have the polluters been slow to take advantage of the opportunity? The window for the first commitment period closes in 2012. One thing is sure: the projects to capture the emissions are capital intensive. And that leads to the next question: has the local financial services sector embraced the idea?

Maybe SA companies need a project financier to walk the walk with them. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) fancies itself as such. It has partnered with specialist chemical group Omnia in a deal which promises to pave the way for Omnia’s credits to be bought by potential buyers in developed markets.

I n its role as intermediary, the IFC takes some of the risks and hassles out of the hands of producers. The IFC has an impressive credit rating. SA needs more of these innovative deal to jump-start carbon trading.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200803180384.html