According to a draft climate plan, South Africa plans to cut emissions by around a third by 2030.

Open public consultation

The government has opened a public consultation on its revised climate strategy, which will run until the end of May, to send a draft document to the UN in time for the Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow, UK, in November.

Reduce emissions

(Photo: American Public Power Association on Unsplash)

South Africa’s annual greenhouse gas emissions will be limited to 398-440 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030, according to the draft proposal. Compared to the 2015 commitment, which set a target of 614 MtCO2 for annual emissions, this reduces emissions by 28%.

To achieve the target, it will focus on “a very aggressive investment program in the electricity sector”, as well as on the introduction of a green transport program, energy efficiency initiatives and energy efficiency. ‘a carbon tax.

Natural energy sources

(Photo: AleSpa)

Gwede Mantashe, the Minister for Natural Resources and Electricity, told an environment and growth summit hosted by the UK last week: ‘We are not putting in place reasons for nothing do because there is a Covid-19 pandemic. “

“It won’t be a stroke of a pencil [that] turn off coal-fired power plants, then switch to renewables, ”Mantasha said, describing the energy conversion as“ a journey ”.

Associated article: NDC Synthesis Reports Show How Far Countries Are From Achieving Paris Agreement Climate Goals

Discuss the proposal

The the draft proposal was “much better” than its 2015 promises, according to Deborah Ramalope, researcher at Climate Analytics and former member of the South African delegation to the UN climate talks.

She told Climate Home News that it is “currently not in line with the Paris Agreement temperature target” of reducing warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

According to Climate Action Tracker’s credentials, Wanjira Mathai, regional director for Africa at the World Resources Institute, applauded the planned target, which would align the country’s efforts to limit the temperature to 2 degrees Celsius.

She welcomed the inclusion of measures to deal with worsening climate change, such as early warning systems, planning for climate resilient growth, better governance and funding for research.

Estimated budget

South Africa reports that by 2030 it will need $ 8 billion a year from the international community to support its decarbonization and adaptation activities, which is more than three times what it earned these last years. 89% of climate finance obtained in 2018-2019 came in the form of loans.

Tight goals

According to the government document, South Africa’s stricter target has been made possible by lower than expected greenhouse gas production over the past ten years and a drop in the emission rate.

This is explained, according to Saliem Fakir, executive director of the Africa Environment Foundation in South Africa, by the rise of the service sector and the decline of heavy carbon-intensive industries.

He said a dramatic increase in electricity tariffs had increased cost pressure on businesses and prompted them to increase their energy efficiency.

According to Fakir, increased climate change is “not the product of real optimism”, but rather a side effect of an economic transition to public services.

“It has little to do with a constructive solution to reduce pollution. Coal appears to be the main cause of pollution,” he said.

Utility services

South African state-owned company, Eskom, provided 86% of the country’s electricity in 2020, making it the most coal-dependent economy of the G20.

The revised climate plan recognizes the energy market as a decarbonization target for the next decade, thus maintaining sustainable prosperity for people who depend on coal for their livelihoods.

Campaigners and observers say the nation could decarbonize faster, but an artificial limit to renewable energy deployment is holding it back. The government’s 2019 energy supply plan provides for an additional capacity of 1,500 MW of coal-fired power to be installed this decade. Solar installations are limited to 1000 MW per year and wind power installations are limited to 1600 MW.

Climate justice

Alex Lenferna, secretary of Climate Justice Alliance, a network of civil society organizations in South Africa, told Climate Home News: “This is our Achilles heel of climate ambition. “It is always difficult for South Africa to secure green funding as we seek to develop our coal industry.”

According to Hartmut Winkler of the University of Johannesburg, there is “no need for a renewable limit”, serving as an unnecessary obstacle to decarbonization.

“The interest of developers would definitely not be lacking if there was a solid indication that this country was trying to push renewable energies,” he added.

According to Fakir, the government has tried to keep the coal industry on board by making a deal that also provides a large amount of coal in the power mix.

While the government has approved a long-term vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the proposal will also allow the country to burn coal before an exit date is set.

Energy problem

(Photo: Pixabay)

“There are a lot of politics and corporate interests in the coal industry. Winkler continues,” The term ‘coal mafia’ is often used to describe opaque purchase contracts. “

Meanwhile, earlier this month, a fifth round of supply for 1,600 MW of onshore wind power and 1,000 MW of solar power was announced – two years later than expected.

South Africa suffers from intermittent electricity losses, which Eskom says could continue over the next five years due to delayed solar expansion and the phasing out of aging coal plants for maintenance. .

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