SA’s first vehicle emissions study using remote sensing tech is launched in Joburg
The ultimate aim of the groundbreaking study is to inform the development of policy, says the University of Johannesburg's Boitemogelo Kwakwa.
Johannesburg skyline from a car window. Wikimedia Commons/Khaanya96
702's John Perlman chats to Boitemogelo Kwakwa, programme manager for Air Quality and the Environment at the Process, Energy & Environmental Technology Station (PEETS) at the University of Johannesburg.
South Africa's first study using roadside remote sensing technology to assess vehicle emissions, has been launched in Johannesburg.
It's a partnership between the City's climate change and air quality unit, the University of Johannesburg’s Process, Energy & Environment Technology Station (UJ PEETS) and the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).
Joburg faces severe air quality challenges and subsequent public health burdens, says The Real Urban Emissions (TRUE) Initiative, and while this is caused by a number of factors, it's vehicle pollution that accounts for over 75% of the city’s nitrogen dioxide emissions.
What's called the Comprehensive Real-World Vehicle Emissions Testing and Analysis Project, is part of the global initiative Breathe Cities.
UJ PEET's Boitemogelo Kwakwa says the ultimate aim of the groundbreaking study is to inform the development of policy.
"An example of that would be something like a clean air zone... because we want to support reducing the health impact that comes from vehicle pollution and also engage with the advancement of environmental justice. The data that's needed isn't always readily available to policymakers, citizens and stakeholders."
Boitemogelo Kwakwa, Programme Manager: Air Quality and the Environment - UJ PEETS
The data they gather could be used to support future monitoring activities that any city or province in South Africa might want to develop as well, Kwakwa says.
Monitoring kicked off this week and will continue over a three-month period.
Data analysis will take the project to the end of the year, with the eventual draft suggestion in terms of policy contribution expected to be delivered by June 2026..
For more detail, listen to the interview audio at the top of the article