The CSIR is working closely with the City of Johannesburg in establishing low-carbon development zones with waste to energy and renewable-energy powered mass transport systems.

The City of Joburg is seeking green economy development opportunities to realise a sustainable city. This demands more than an incremental approach to developing domain-specific solutions for individual land-parcels. It requires the consideration of economic viability, ecological protection and social equity; and calls for integrative, trans-disciplinary, and multidisciplinary research and technology innovation to align the relevant specialist expertise towards a common goal.

The CSIR in partnership with the City of Joburg are engaged in a four stage journey of discovery, development and implementation. A CSIR research team is determining innovative solutions for the city’s marginalised land, with a focus on low-carbon development zones for waste to energy and renewable-energy powered mass transport.

Thus far the research and development has linked previously unusable marginal land characteristics with green economic development opportunities and technologies. One of the recommendations is a flagship project focusing on biomass to biogas development on marginal land to provide fuel for the city’s dual fuel public transport system.