Page 34 - Vol 33 Issue 34 2021

Is Africa’s Biggest Polluter Capable of Transformation?
energy Column

IS AFRICA’S BIGGEST

POLLUTER CAPABLE OF

TRANSFORMATION?

he public utility which supplies the vast majority of South Africa’s electricity, Eskom, is the biggest polluter on
Tthe continent, according to a local non-governmental organisation.

The Climate Justice Coalition (CJC), which includes How Eskom needs to
trade unions, civil society and community or ga ni- transform
sations, is running a #GreenNewEskom campaign
aimed at achieving a transition to clean, safe and On May 25, the CJC launched a booklet as part of
affordable renewable energy. the Green New Eskom campaign. The document
In the past decade, Eskom has been besieged lists a number of changes the power utility needs
with financial and infrastructural difficulties that to incorporate. Among them:
have cost the South African economy billions. » A rapid and just transition to a more socially
Research from the Efficient Group estimates that owned renewable energy powered economy,
the utility’s woes have resulted in a reduction in providing clean, safe and affordable energy
GDP by 0.30% during 2019, roughly the equivalent for all, with no worker or community left
of U.S. $617 million. behind in the transition.
Coal reliance vs net-zero » A robust, just transition plan that invests
in and protects workers and communities
emissions vulnerable in the transition to a zero-carbon
The parastatal is in dire need of transformation, future.
not only in terms of economic turnaround » Remove constraints on renewable energy put
but also to move from its reliance on its most in place by the government’s 2019 Integrated
fundamental resource: coal. South Africa’s Resources Plan and instead transition as
greenhouse emissions in 2015 totaled 512 million fast as possible to renewable energy. The
tonnes of carbon dioxide, an increase of 20% over coalition says South Africa must do it share of
the figure of 426 million in 2000, the government keeping warming to 1.5C.
said in a 2019 report to UN Climate Change.
The power utility has an “aspirational vision” In March 2021, Eskom Group Chief Executive » Policies and incentives to enable socially
of producing net-zero emissions by 2050, in André de Ruyter told the South African par lia- owned renewable energy so workers,
accordance with a government announcement in ment’s Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources communities, small-to medium businesses,
February 2020 that set the goal. The government and Energy that the utility is very much aware of and families can own and benefit from clean
aims to boost the shift to renewable energy the negative environmental impact of some of its energy. The CDC says gender, racial, and
through partnerships with private companies operations, particularly their emissions and the economic justice must guide these policies.
via the Renewable Energy Independent Power water use of coal-fired power stations. In light » The development and implementation of
Producer (REIPP) scheme, which has secured of this and its debt, Eskom announced plans in green industrialisation policies with priority
investment of more than $15 billion. November 2020 which include to repurposing given to vulnerable, coal-dependent, carbon-
its coal plants to renewable energy facilities, the intensive regions.
A long-term strategy utility told Canada’s BNN Bloomberg.
According to Earth.org, this vision is in line with The intention is to enable the mass roll-out of » End harmful and regressive subsidies for
the Paris Agreement’s recommendation that renewables, although the utility qualified this by coal, oil and fossil gas.
nations develop long-term strategies to tackle saying that due to the unpredictable nature of » No new coal power should be commissioned.
climate change. However, the ability of Eskom technological advancement, “the ‘net’ in the net- and no fracking to search for fossil gas; and
itself to contribute has been hampered by the zero target means that we will still have residual
embattled utility’s own critical levels of debt, emissions over the coming years as we work » A mass rollout of solar panels and a move to
amounting to $29 billion. towards de-carbonizing the grid.” electric vehicles.

34 | AFRICAN POWER Mining & Oil Review Vol33 Issue 34 2021