Coal Kills.

Eskom’s reliance on expensive, unreliable & polluting coal is killing us. Electricity tariff increases and load shedding are killing the South African economy and hurting the poor. Eskom’s unsustainable debt levels are draining tens of billions in taxpayer money and driving austerity. Its power is literally killing our people through air and water pollution. And as the biggest climate polluter in Africa, it is causing death and devastation across the world through climate change.

A Green New Eskom

A better Eskom is possible, if we pursue a rapid and just transition to renewable energy that benefits all South Africans. Renewable energy is now South Africa’s cheapest and most job-creating form of energy. Research shows that a transition to renewable energy can create 200,000 more jobs, compared to sticking with our polluting system. It would also lower the cost of energy by 25%, save 196,000,000,000 litres of water per year, make our energy system more reliable (i.e. no load-shedding), and remove our biggest source of air, water & climate pollution.

A Just Transition

If we are to transition to a renewable energy future, we cannot leave behind workers who have worked so hard to keep the lights on. We must protect workers and communities who depend on coal for their livelihoods. For those workers, a just transition is vital. It is not optional. Additionally, to ensure that renewable energy brings more benefits to the people of South Africa, we must pursue a more socially owned renewable energy future that puts the benefits, jobs, and ownership of energy more in the hands of the people.

Energy For All

With millions still lacking access to electricity, we must ensure access to affordable energy for all. Renewable energy provides the most affordable and fastest way to provide energy access for all. Poor South Africans also deserve an expansion of the insufficient indigent free electricity allocation. We must reject the inhumanity of leaving the poorest and most vulnerable in our society out in the dark and in the cold, especially with the onset of winter. We must ensure energy for all so that all South Africans can have the power they require to meet their basic needs.

Covid 19 and Air Pollution

Research shows that air pollution sharply increases the risks of dying from COVID-19. Even before COVID 19, air pollution was killing millions of people globally every year. Despite this, during the first days of lockdown, the South African government weakened air pollution regulations, making our coal-fired power regulations for sulphur dioxide 28x weaker than even China’s, resulting in an estimated additional 3,300 deaths. We must strengthen our regulations to ensure every South African’s constitutional right “to an environment that isn't harmful to their health or well-being”

A Just Renewable Recovery

With COVID-19’s economic impacts devastating South Africa, we desperately need a major programme to put South Africans to work building a more socially, economically, and environmentally just future. Renewable energy is a key component of that. As research from the Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies shows, “Unlocking renewable energy investments as part of the post-lockdown stimulus package would bring multiple benefits, from fostering inclusive growth to stimulating industrial development and sustainable energy systems”.