ANC signals caution on green energy transition

South Africa’s governing party said it is committed to reducing the nation’s reliance on coal but that a transition to cleaner forms of energy must be approached with caution to minimise any negative fallout.

“We have resolved that the transition to a low-carbon economy must be just and inclusive,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his closing address to an African National Congress conference in central city of Mangaung Friday. “It must be executed at a pace that is in concert with the developmental needs of our country.”

South Africa is the world’s 13th-biggest source of greenhouse gases, with 45% of its annual 452 million tons of emissions coming from electricity generation. While Ramaphosa has championed the use of more renewable power, he has run into opposition from his Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and labor unions that represent mineworkers and fear job losses.

The president said any energy policy shift “must prioritise the welfare of workers and communities and industries most affected by the transition.”

Troubled state utility Eskom produces the bulk of South Africa’s electricity from coal, and subjected the country to rolling blackouts on 205 days last year because its old and poorly maintained plants can’t generate enough power to meet demand. The outages have crimped economic growth and deterred investment.

“Priority must be given to speeding up the resolution of the energy crisis, in particular undertaking critical maintenance at Eskom so we return existing generation capacity to reliable service,” the ANC said in a declaration adopted at the end of its conference.

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