SA 'active on green issues'

Tax has been identified as the key driver of green policy in South Africa, auditing firm KPMG International said yesterday.

"KPMG International has named South Africa as the 13th-most active country - of 21 major global economies - in using tax as a tool to drive sustainable corporate behaviour and achieve green policy goals," it said.

The finding is contained in the first KPMG Green Tax Index, launched in Shanghai at the end of last month.

The index explores how governments use their tax systems in response to global problems such as energy security, water and other resources scarcity, pollution and climate change.

The six countries that top the index are the US, Japan, Britain, France, South Korea and China.

South Africa ranks ahead of countries such as Australia, Finland and Singapore.