Sasol Limited

Sasol Limited is a South African integrated energy and chemical company whose core business is the production of liquid fuels and chemicals from fossil fuel feedstocks. The company operates large-scale coal-to-liquids (CTL) and gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities, deriving the majority of its revenue from processing coal and natural gas. Its operations span the full fossil fuel value chain, from upstream coal mining and gas production to downstream refining and chemical manufacturing.

The company's decarbonization strategy, as outlined in its 2025 climate-related disclosures, centers on increasing internal coal production and gas feedstock usage in the near term while developing longer-term plans for sustainable feedstocks. Sasol's business performance metrics for fiscal year 2026 show its product split remains heavily weighted toward fossil-derived outputs, with fuels and chemicals comprising 37% and 63% of its portfolio respectively. Its climate reporting acknowledges that transition risks from a shift away from fossil fuels are expected to be most pronounced for its business model.

While Sasol has announced a vision for a "net zero fossil fuel free operation" by 2050, its current operations and near-term strategic focus remain deeply anchored in fossil fuel extraction and processing. The company's integrated reports continue to highlight the materiality of its estimated oil, gas, and coal reserves to future profitability.

Sasol Limited operates a large-scale coal-to-liquids (CTL) and gas-to-liquids (GTL) complex in Secunda, South Africa, which is the world’s single largest point-source of greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond its massive air pollution, the company’s operations have caused extensive documented environmental damage. The Secunda complex and its associated coal mining activities have degraded the Mpumalanga Highveld, contaminating soil and water resources with sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and other pollutants. A 2017 report titled “The Destruction of the Highveld Part 2: Burning Coal” detailed the ecological harm from Sasol’s operations, linking them to acid mine drainage and habitat destruction.

The company’s environmental record includes liability for significant pollution incidents. Sasol’s own regulatory filings acknowledge material risks from “environmental damage or pollution” and stipulate strict liability for certain violations under South African law. Its sustainability reporting framework, overseen by the Board’s Social and Ethics Committee, is designed to address the “potential to create significant degradation or pollution to the environment,” indicating the scale of inherent operational risk. While the company publishes sustainability and climate reports, its 2023 disclosure admitted it may not meet its 2030 emission reduction targets, and it remains the country's largest private greenhouse gas emitter.