Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has called for more consultation and education for South Africans as the country transitions from a carbon-intensive economy to a green economy.
Ramokgopa made these comments at the Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW) seminar on SA’s Just Energy Transition and the Future of Work in Tshwane.
The minister said that South Africans have to be consulted, especially as some coal-fired power stations close down.
The concept of a just energy transition needs to be addressed and explained to South Africans, he added.
“It’s also about the democratisation of the conversation. It’s important that when you move into (communities) you don’t undermine the agency and the ability of people in those areas to comprehend and understand the implications of the decisions that you want to take,” he said.
“You don’t suggest that you have the authority to decide on their behalf. We don’t have that authority. It’s important that they get to be educated on the impact of not transitioning to the environment, to their own health, what it means and the impact of doing that suddenly,” Ramokgopa emphasised.
How much will the transition cost?
Ramokgopa warned that South Africa’s energy transition is expected to be an expensive process.
He said that the transition could be around R1.6 trillion over a period of five years.
The minister did note that developed nations should subsidise this endeavour as they are responsible for the vast majority of greenhouse gases causing climate change.
“The South African balance sheet is very weak; it will not be able to carry this. So you need to design bespoke financing instruments, to help us to go this route,” he added.
“But also more significantly, what is the contribution of the developed world? Those parties that are largely responsible for the kind of damage that we are seeing to the environment. Africa in total contributes about 4% to the greenhouse gas emissions. We can’t carry the same responsibility. The industrialised and developed north have got both a moral and ethical duty to ensure that they are able to finance this transition,” he emphasised.
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