South Africa’s Treasury will be scoring a spectacular own goal if it insists on imposing a carbon tax next year; the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) renders a carbon tax superfluous and all its imposition will do is risk smelter closure and the export of South African jobs when the country needs them most. In contrast, the IRP will reduce emission intensity by fostering the introduction of significant renewable energy. High Eskom electricity tariffs have already resulted in one ferromanganese smelter moving to Malaysia and the State power utility has also put ferrochrome smelters under the cosh. Carbon tax will push them right over the edge.