Media Release: GRDM Air Quality Unit Delivers Perfect Score in National Emissions Reporting

For immediate release
07 August 2025

The “National Atmospheric Emission Inventory System” (NAEIS) is an internet-based emissions reporting system which is a component of the South African Atmospheric Emission Licencing and Inventory System (SAAELIP) portal. NAEIS allows for regulated industries, as well as authorities to report atmospheric emissions from all sectors, for the purpose of compiling a national atmospheric emission inventory profile.

The system is legislated through the National Emission Reporting regulations that prescribe NAEIS reporting. Emission inventory means an accounting of the number of pollutants discharged into the atmosphere and it contains the total emissions for one or more specific greenhouse gases and air pollutants originating from all sources in a certain geographical area and within a specified time span.

Furthermore, the system is a web-based atmospheric emissions monitoring and reporting system that is aimed at providing accurate, current and complete information on all significant sources of identified atmospheric emissions, including greenhouse gas emissions from South Africa. NAEIS introduces a single national reporting system of atmospheric emissions, which will be used:

1. To inform policy formulation;
2. For the Republic of South Africa to meet its obligations under the United Framework Convention on Climate Change and any other international treaties to which it is bound; and
3. To establish and maintain a National Emission Inventory Profile.

To comply with the reporting regulations, Facilities must report emissions from the preceding year.  The NAEIS system is open for reporting from 1 January to 30 June each year.

Since the start of NAEIS reporting in 2015, the GRDM Air Quality Unit, under leadership of Dr Johann Schoeman, District Manager for Air Quality, arranged training sessions for its industries to assist them with their NAEIS reporting. Since the start, the Garden Route had a 100% submission of NAEIS reports.

Schoeman highlighted: “This 100% submission rate was achieved through relentless assistance to our Industry”. In addition, Schoeman explained GRDM’s role and said: “We guide the industry through special NAEIS completion target-group sessions, appointments and personal assistance”. He further stated that most of the larger industries also have the capacity to appoint consultants to assist them with NAEIS reporting. “We therefore focus on the smaller industries that do not have the capacity to do the reporting, he added.

“Within the Garden Route, we have 25 Facilities that must report on NAEIS and for 2025 we again achieved a 100% submission rate with all of them reporting within the deadline”.

After the NAEIS reporting cycle, Authorities will audit the NAEIS report after which the National Department will do the National verifications.

ENDS