Authorities confirm methane gas caused last month’s explosion in Johannesburg city, which killed one person and injured several others.

Unfortunately, compressed natural gas is not actually a green alternative fuel. CNG-powered vehicles are just as bad for the environment as their petrol or diesel counterparts.

The place of natural gas in a clean energy future is hotly debated. But, there is a simple answer to whether natural gas is renewable.

Natural gas presents a risk to the success of the green energy transition, to the economy and to the country’s climate goals.

Renewable energy funds are a vital tool for South Africa’s green energy transition. They can pay for everything from infrastructure upgrades to mine rehabilitation.

Livestock farming contributes to poverty reduction in rural areas. However, industrialised livestock farming is one of the greatest threats to planetary and human health.

Experts say that hydrogen is one answer to South Africa’s greenhouse gas emissions problem.

Hydrogen is a fuel source that is a possible alternative to fossil fuels. It can be used in fuel cells and to create heat, and its only by-product is water, meaning it does not release any greenhouse gases when burned.

Hydrogen is gaining international attention as a potential green alternative to fossil fuels. This is because hydrogen can be “green” when produced using renewable sources.

A carbon footprint is the number of greenhouse gases emitted through a person, business or even a country’s activities. These greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane.

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound that presents as a gas in the Earth’s atmosphere. It consists of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms.

Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. This can be any gas that absorbs infrared radiation and contributes to the Earth’s warming or the greenhouse effect.

Since 2006, the amount of gas in the atmosphere has increased, according to NASA. The oil and gas industry has caused the majority of methane gas emissions since 2006, NASA says.

Biogas is a renewable energy source produced when anaerobic bacteria break down organic materials. It is different from natural gas as natural gas is a fossil fuel, while biogas is a renewable energy source.

In August 2021, South Africa’s National Business Initiative (NBI) published a government-backed report. It described the pathways that the country must take to decarbonise.

Currently, South Africa is neither a large exporter nor importer of LNG. However, there are now plans in the country to develop this fossil fuel industry.