The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Ventures Carbon Market launched the trading of International Renewable Energy Certificates (IRECs), this week.
IRECs will enable companies to offset their “scope two” emissions from energy supplied by third parties.
Russell Karas, Senior Vice President, Xpansiv, a partner of JSE’s in the platform about environmental credits, said “we expect this is the first step in developing robust markets for carbon credits and IRECs, which will enable South African companies to accelerate their net-zero programs and meet compliance requirements.”
Since its inception, the collaboration between JSE Ventures and Xpansiv, has been actively onboarding participants to the Xpansiv, assisting with capacity building and introductions to project developers and financiers, to expand the supply of environmental credits from the region.
The carbon market enables market participants to buy and sell carbon credits and renewable energy certificates that are held in either local or global registries.
Carbon and renewable energy credits can be used in compliance programs, including the carbon tax, as well as in voluntary programs to support company net-zero commitments.
Valdene Reddy, Director of Capital Markets at the JSE, said “this is an excellent start to the year and great timing as many South African companies look to align their carbon tax obligations. These transactions reaffirm the JSE’s commitment to providing products in the sustainability sector that not only support investment into projects producing carbon credits but also introducing a wider buyer network to the sellers of the credits. We believe this is only the start and look forward to many more transactions on the platform. This is an open invitation to all South African corporates who are exposed to the Carbon Tax to reach out to us in order to access eligible offsets.”
South Africa’s carbon tax was introduced in June 2019 in a phased approach, permitting the use of approved carbon credits, to advance the transition to net zero.