MAY 2022 – The Presidential Climate Commission held a multi-stakeholder conference in Midrand on Thursday and Friday, 05-06 May, addressing the country’s preparation towards the 2050 agenda of using a low carbon, more equitable energy.
From Thursday speakers who represented various organisations from business, labour, academia, youth and civil society had their fair share in an innovative social partnership.
Many shared how they understood Just Transition, their take on it and expectations from those who have been given the responsibility to facilitate the process.
Soon after the opening,
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, who spoke on behalf of the Minister in the Presidency said it was important for South Africa to do a just transition in a responsible manner, noting that the changes that are ahead will need adaption from communities and industries.
He reflected on the recent devastating floods in Kwazulu Natal putting the climate impacts in sharp focus while making those who are affected, most vulnerable to climate change.
He said that a just transition means a people centred approach to addressing the impacts of climate change.
“It is about improving the lives and livelihoods of all South Africans, particularly those that are bearing the brunt of climate impacts.
It is about protecting and empowering workers and communities, as our country carefully nagivates the shift away from fossil fuels”, said Mbalula.
He added that achieving a just transition is an idea that President Cyril Ramaphosa is committed to and one that he and other ministers as well as Commissioners fully support.
Scientific research findings say global warming must be kept below 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid the worst of climate impacts.
“To do so, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically over the next three decades to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century.
Developed countries who have contributed a share to historical emissions bear the responsibility of reducing emissions first. We will also need to play our part and if we don’t, We will miss out on the opportunities of a greener, more inclusive and more sustainable economy”, stated Mbalula.
He added that South Africa needs to install roughly 3 to 4 gigawatts of renewable energy per annum over the next 30 years.
“At this pace, we can generate sufficient economies of scale for local manufacturers to produce the parts for wind and solar as well as utility scale batteries. This manufacturing can create real jobs and not just intermittent jobs in the installation and construction but decent permanent jobs linked to large scale manufacturing”, continued Mbalula.
The commission also shared a full report on public consultations that were done in 8 various communities that have industires running coal business; Mpumalanga- Emalahleni, Carolina, Secunda and Limpopo- Lephalale as well as some parts of Kwazulu Natal.
The report quotes communities that have spoken of poverty, hardships they go through, unfairness of current situation, suffering through breathing polluted air, lack of basic water service delivery among others.
Environmental groups from different regions of the country raised their concerns around the manner in which public participation meetings are held and what they accuse companies of, misrepresentation of what they stand for.
The government was also criticised for not doing enough to ensure there is compliance by big corporations and that to some extend it is seen to be fighting poor communities, who are against foreign mining companies that do not have the interests of communities at heart but just want to make money, pollute their respective areas while destroying their livelihoods with their mining activities, which years later they do not rehabilitate.
During the discussion on mobilising and scaling up finance for the just transition, it was said that South Africa will need to use approximately R3.7 trillion in over the next 3 decades to transition to a low carbon, more equitable energy.
On Friday, Ministers of Higher Education, Science and Technology(Blade Nzimande) as well as Public Enterprises(Pravin Gordan) made their presentations in support Just Transition.
Nzimande said skills and innovation are very important in the struggle for climate justice and he welcome the emphasis made.
He said there will be investment in TVET Colleges and Community Education Training, formerly known as Adult Education.
Gordhan said there needed to be engagements also on how to sustain the country beyond the current system used to grow the economy.
He said corruption is one of the problems that could threaten the transition and transparency was important across this journey.
He added that at the commission level there is a need to see the transition that should be undertaken as part of the process of historic and social change.
“We need to get an economic historian to reflect on how to move from one era to another in the cause of human history on the planet.
This is because the kind of dynamics we will be experiencing at a micro level might be very interestingly reflective of the kind of dynamics society experienced when the steam engine was discovered, when industrialisation first took flares, when the digital economy began to make its presence felt.
We will ask questions about how wild will be the impact of the kind of changes that we are talking in the context of climate itself”, said Gordhan.
In November 2021 at the international climate conference held in Glasgow, South Africa struck a $8.5 billion deal with the European Union, France, Germany, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
This partnership is said to be able to help drive a just and affordable energy transition in South Africa, where renewable energy production is said to make electricity cheaper and more dependable.