<\/p>\n
The report highlights ongoing work by Statistics SA in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and the Department of Electricity and Energy. The initiative focuses on developing more comprehensive energy and air emissions accounts to track greenhouse gas emissions and energy use better.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The IMF said improved data systems are becoming increasingly important for economic planning as countries respond to climate change, carbon pricing and emerging trade measures such as carbon border taxes. For SA, stronger datasets will enable policymakers to more accurately measure the country\u2019s carbon footprint and assess pressures on various sectors.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Progress has already been recorded with the publication of SA\u2019s first energy accounts covering the period from 2015 to 2021. Further updates are planned, alongside the development of air emissions accounts expected to be released as experimental estimates by November 2026.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A key element of the effort is improved coordination between government departments through the Energy Data Reference Group, which has been revived to enhance consistency between energy statistics and emissions reporting.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Despite progress, the IMF identified challenges that could slow implementation. Limited staffing capacity at Statistics SA remains a concern, with only a small team dedicated to the work. Data inconsistencies, particularly in areas such as biomass use and fuel consumption, also require further refinement.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The IMF said SA remains well-positioned to advance the initiative due to strong institutional cooperation and high-level political support. Recent amendments to the Statistics Act are expected to further improve coordination and data quality across government systems.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Stronger climate data systems are increasingly seen as essential for African economies, not only to inform environmental policy but also to attract climate finance and support sustainable growth.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–IMF\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":35045,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-35044","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"South Africa (SA) is intensifying efforts to improve climate and energy data systems as part of a broader strategy to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, according to a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) technical assistance report.","published_date":"","news_description":"South Africa (SA) is intensifying efforts to improve climate and energy data systems as part of a broader strategy to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, according to a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) technical assistance report.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/35044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/35044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35046,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/35044\/revisions\/35046"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=35044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}