du Plessis, Willemien --- "Cross-border Gas Pipelines and Sustainability in Southern Africa" [2011] ELECD 655; in Benidickson, Jamie; Boer, Ben; Benjamin, Herman Antonio; Morrow, Karen (eds), "Environmental Law and Sustainability after Rio" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: Environmental Law and Sustainability after Rio

Editor(s): Benidickson, Jamie; Boer, Ben; Benjamin, Herman Antonio; Morrow, Karen

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9780857932242

Section: Chapter 16

Section Title: Cross-border Gas Pipelines and Sustainability in Southern Africa

Author(s): du Plessis, Willemien

Number of pages: 18

Extract:

16. Cross-border gas pipelines and
sustainability in southern Africa
Willemien du Plessis

1. INTRODUCTION

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development 1 of 1992 sets out a
framework for environmental regulation worldwide, emphasising the
promotion of developing new technologies, reducing pollution and
developing effective environmental legislation (not least environmental
impact assessments, including engagement with cross-border issues). 2
The world faces a multi-dimensional energy crisis: fossil fuels generate
adverse environmental impacts, prompting the development of alternatives;
energy security is a pressing issue 3 and new energy markets are emerging.
Agenda 21 4 refers briefly to the need to address energy generation and
consumption, 5 while the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change 6 targets greenhouse gases. As a result, greater reliance is being
placed on gas as an energy source. The Energy Charter Treaty and its
subsequent Energy Charter Protocol (ECS, 2004) 7 sought to ensure safe and
environmentally friendly transfer of gas in Eurasia. While no African country
has signed the Treaty as yet, it may nonetheless provide lessons for cross-
border gas transfer in Africa.
South Africa has long relied primarily on coal-generated electricity for
both domestic supply and export of energy. Export energy demand in the
South African Development Community (SADC) has grown substantially
and South Africa has indicated that it would not be able to sustain energy
export to its neighbouring countries. Accordingly countries such as
Mozambique investigated the viability of gas fields as an alternative source
of energy. Sasol, a major ...