South Africa Lags Behind in Achieving Climate Action Commitments

On 12 June, the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) released their first report regarding South Africa’s progress and status of achieving climate action commitments;

The Commission mentioned that the lack of consensus about the pace of coal phase-out is causing delays; the report shows a clear discrepancy between the country’s climate change policies and tangible outcomes achieved;

The PCC maintained that as SA moved into a “more challenging phase of climate change”, this disparity became increasingly evident. Mismatch between commitments and action was driven partly by contradictory public policies and positions, particularly in relation to the energy sector’s future;

PCC commissioner and environmental lawyer Melissa Fourie has stated that SA’s readiness to leverage public and private investment for adaptation efforts had diminished due to high and persistent social inequality, and a decline in state capacity and resources;

The report has flagged limited investment in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the just transition, as possible risks.

Commentary

The lack of progress in achieving climate action commitments could be due to the ?country still relying heavily on coal for electricity generation, and the delay in decommissioning coal plants arose out of a need to end loadshedding, which is having an impact on the slow growth of the economy;

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and recently signed Electricity Regulations Amendment Act will assist the country meet its forecasted electricity demand and adhere to climate change commitments to ensure a sustainable and economically viable energy supply solution;

It has to be noted however that it will take time before the reliance on coal is decreased as non-dispatchable energy resources like wind and solar PV are unreliable and could destabilise the grid.