{"id":48730,"date":"2023-06-19T15:34:43","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T14:34:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatechangenews.com\/?p=48730"},"modified":"2023-06-19T15:38:09","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T14:38:09","slug":"south-africa-coal-energy-fossil-fuels-climate-lobby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2023\/06\/19\/south-africa-coal-energy-fossil-fuels-climate-lobby\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa\u2019s coal lobby is resisting a green transition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pascaline Mazibuko has become a recurrent voice in government consultations on the energy transition in Emalahleni, a municipality of South Africa\u2019s energy heartland Mpumalanga province. The former politician has now turned her efforts to keeping coal alive in the region.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From 2015 to 2020, Mazibuko held public office as a councillor in the Emalahleni Local Municipality. Now, through a a non-profit called Bullet Mkabayi Foundation, she has actively lobbied against the rapid deployment of renewables and the country\u2019s planned coal phase out.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been lobbying, and will continue to lobby our people to say: reject this thing. It is not going to work for us,\u201d Mazibuko told Oxpeckers and Climate Home News.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

South Africa is at the heart of one of the most ambitious energy transition deals in the world \u2014 an <\/span>$8.5 billion partnership<\/span><\/a> with a group of wealthy countries, among them the US, UK and EU. The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) seeks to phase out coal in the country by 2035.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the nation\u2019s coal sector has exerted a significant pushback to this plan, partnering with politicians and even managing to water down or delay\u00a0key policies, such as the Climate Change Bill and the Carbon Tax Act.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Local business group tries to keep South Africa\u2019s coal plants alive<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mazibuko, for example, has held meetings with political leaders such as the Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane<\/span>, and members of the Department of Mineral Resources and the Presidential Climate Commission. She defends a continued use of coal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCoal lobbying has the greatest impact on green energy investments by increasing uncertainty and thus reducing the appetite of investors to invest in green energy,\u201d said Mary Stewart, chief executive of climate consultancy Energetics.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

South Africa currently relies heavily on coal for about 70% of total electricity production. The country is also one of the <\/span>top five<\/span><\/a> coal exporting countries in the world, hosting an influential coal\u00a0mining industry.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Several major companies with stakes in the coal sector have kept fossil fuels in their corporate planning. The petrochemical company Sasol, for example, <\/span>claims<\/span><\/a> to lead development of a \u201cgas economy\u201d, while South Africa\u2019s public electricity company Eskom plans to \u201crepower\u201d stations using gas, according to their 2021 <\/span>sustainability report.<\/span><\/a> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coal lobby<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Progress on South Africa\u2019s energy transition depends on phasing out 14 <\/span>existing coal-fired power plants,<\/span><\/a> as well as accelerating the deployment of renewable energy. But the coal sector has so far resisted this transition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During discussions on South Africa\u2019s Climate Change Bill, a landmark climate legislation still in public<\/span>\u00a0hearings<\/span><\/a>, at least four groups -including the country\u2019s own Eskom- made attempts to weaken penalties for polluters, according to a report by climate think tank <\/span>InfluenceMap<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The mining industry was the strongest supporter of coal, as multinational companies\u00a0Anglo American and South32 all participated in lobbying to water down climate legislation in South Africa, the report shows.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n