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.

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.

South African mining houses are gravitating towards ‘green’ metals. This is in addition to investing in renewable energy projects to power their operations.

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.

Investors can no longer afford to ignore the threat of climate change. The window to position their portfolios accordingly “may be shrinking”, says BlackRock, the largest money manager in the world.

The South African government has plans to generate more electricity with natural gas.