GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
13 December 2023
The world broadly agrees what needs to be done to limit the impact of climate change, and that’s heal itself of its dependence on fossil fuels. But there’s less agreement on the how, what, when and where.
That’s the gist of the outcome of the global climate justice meeting in Dubai, COP28, that concluded today.
For South Africans, the commitment to a just transition to renewable energy is not new, but implementation has been singularly disappointing.
While most South Africans will agree on the need to prioritise a greener future, in theory, Eskom has in practise been spewing record amounts of diesel fumes into the atmosphere to counter the impact of poorly performing coal-fired power stations, while projects to bring new renewable energy on board continue to face obstacles.
South Africa’s energy supply has been in a perpetual state of crisis for 15 years, which is forcing the country into making uncomfortable choices between urgently mitigating the impact of power cuts and acting on the basis of environmental principles and commitments.
It cannot make bad choices. It has to do whatever it can to keep the lights on while prioritising the transition to renewable energy.
The past year saw many press gambits by government leaders, many promises and plans, but little change to financially bloated and complicated systems and a never-ending trail of corruption and mismanagement at Eskom.
In June, for example, the President announced that South Africa would be receiving 1000mw of new power from Mozambique within three months. This has not materialised. What has materialised is the donation from China of diesel burning generators to power our police stations, hospitals and clinics. A generous donation, but something of a backward step.
The energy that has been expended trying to land the Karpowerships deal would have been better spent developing renewable projects and grid access.
While the introduction of bid windows for independent renewable projects were initially a sign of promise, they have been bogged down by controversy, obstruction and delay.
South Africa must use the COP28 commitment to shelve fossil fuels to re-energise its own commitments to environmental and social justice.
We need increased support from countries in the global north, but won’t get such support until we demonstrate our steadfastness and capacity to make the just transition a reality.
GOOD is committed to the pursuit of an energy mix that is 100% made up of renewable energy sources within the shortest timeframe possible, supported by battery storage. South Africa must decommission and retire coal-powered energy plants according to their schedule and phase out of sources of energy that are reliant on fossil fuels.
All of this must be accompanied by a comprehensive plan for the transition to be just – in that the livelihoods of those impacted by this transition are secured, protected and even enhanced.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 082 518 3264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD Media Manager
Cell: 073 367 1223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za