Low-carbon manufacturing

08/2018 | Report

The imperative to substantially reduce global carbon emissions over the coming decades will require reductions beyond the energy sector (including energy efficiencies). Strategies for manufacturing products fit for a low-carbon economy are multi-faceted. Rethinking product and process design, the overall value chain for the creation, use and end-of-product life, and the management and use of waste streams are some of them. Besides the carbon emissions benefits, new processes, technologies and products present opportunities for localising manufacturing. Low-carbon manufacturing can boost South Africa’s competitive advantage and give access to export markets while overcoming barriers to carbon-intensive exports which other countries are increasingly considering establishing.