AIR QUALITY OFFSET POLICY

The 'Air Quality Offset Policy' is a draft framework published by the Centre for Environmental Rights in January 2014. It proposes the use of environmental offsets—measures that counterbalance adverse atmospheric emissions—to balance South Africa's economic growth and industrial development with the constitutional right to a healthy environment. The policy outlines principles for offset design, specific application scenarios such as license variations or postponements, and the roles of applicants, licensing authorities, and communities in implementing these measures.

• Air quality offsets are defined as interventions implemented to counterbalance the adverse environmental impact of atmospheric emissions to achieve a net ambient air quality benefit within a specific affected airshed. They are intended as a complementary tool to existing regulatory and enforcement measures, not a replacement for them.
• The policy identifies three specific Priority Areas (PAs) where industrial development pressure is high and air pollution levels are elevated: the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area, the Highveld Priority Area, and the Waterberg-Bojanala Priority Area. In these areas, the policy suggests that new or modified industries should not be permitted unless additional emissions are offset.
• Offsetting conditions may be applied during three primary authorization processes: applications for postponement of compliance timeframes under Section 21 of the Air Quality Act (AQA), applications for the variation of an atmospheric emissions license that would increase emissions, and applications for licenses within National or Provincial priority areas declared under Section 18 of the AQA.
• The policy establishes several core principles for offsets: they must be 'Outcome Based' (improving ambient air quality), 'Transparent and Acceptable' (requiring public participation), 'Additional' (reductions must be beyond what would have occurred without the incentive), 'Sustainable' (long-term solutions), and 'Measurable and Scientifically Robust'.
• Proposed areas of intervention for offsets focus heavily on residential and infrastructure improvements to reduce non-industrial emissions. Examples include providing LPG packages (stoves and subsidized gas) or electrification to reduce domestic coal burning, paving unpaved roads to reduce particulate matter, and re-vegetating mine dumps.
• The policy assigns specific responsibilities: the Applicant must identify and fund the offset; Licensing Authorities recommend and monitor the offsets; the National Air Quality Officer (NAQO) assesses and reviews projects; and affected communities must be given the opportunity to participate and indicate support for the proposed interventions.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2014). AIR QUALITY OFFSET POLICY. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2014-01-23-Draft-AQ-Offset-Policy-for-LA-comments.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. AIR QUALITY OFFSET POLICY. 2014. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2014-01-23-Draft-AQ-Offset-Policy-for-LA-comments.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=AIR QUALITY OFFSET POLICY |date=January 2014 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2014-01-23-Draft-AQ-Offset-Policy-for-LA-comments.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2014air, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{AIR QUALITY OFFSET POLICY}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2014}, month = jan, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2014-01-23-Draft-AQ-Offset-Policy-for-LA-comments.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }