The Thabametsi coal-fired power plant has been cancelled!
The Thabametsi coal-fired power plant that was to be developed in Lephalale, Limpopo, has officially been withdrawn by its sponsors; Marubeni and KEPCO. The plant won’t be built.
#ThumaMinaDBSA
A call on the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to commit to initiating policy reforms that fully excludes coal-fired power infrastructure financing.
#ThumaMina: Heed the call, say no to coal DBSA.
The impacts of climate change are being felt in South Africa today more than ever, and developing new coal infrastructure will accelerate climate extremes in an already water-stressed country. In order to avoid catastrophic climate change, no new coal infrastructure should be built.
As a Development Finance Institution, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has a key role to play in ensuring that South Africa is not left behind in a transition away from coal. The Development Bank has a duty to ensure that its infrastructure financing strategies are in the wider public interest and that they are not funding a harmful coal industry which is driving the climate crisis.
Instead, DBSA can play a bigger role in scaling up action on climate change and delivering on South Africa’s fair share of limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5C.
We’re calling on the DBSA to publicly commit to initiating lending and investment policy reforms that fully exclude coal financing from the bank’s infrastructure funding programme. It is an opportunity for them to stand out and be a leader amongst financiers in South Africa, and not waiver from fulfilling their development aims of improving affordable energy access for all South Africans.
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Ask the DBSA not to fund Thabametsi:
350Africa is calling on the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to publically commit to not funding Thabametsi coal-fired power station.
The impacts of climate change are being felt in South Africa today more than ever, and developing another power plant in a water-stressed region stands to threaten communities living in Lephalale. In order to avoid catastrophic climate change, no new coal infrastructure should be built.
While we welcome the Development Bank’s investments in renewable energy initiatives, these positive steps risk being undermined by support for coal infrastructure. Instead, DBSA can play a bigger role in scaling up action on climate change and delivering on the ambitions that South Africa committed to during the global climate talks held in Paris in 2015.
The Life After Coal campaign has made great strides towards stopping Thabametsi and other coal-fired power station projects from going ahead, and we are joining this struggle, focusing on the institutions financing Thabametsi.
We’re calling on the DBSA to commit to not financing Thabametsi coal-fired power plant. It is an opportunity for them to stand out and be a leader amongst financiers in South Africa, and not waiver from fulfilling their development aims of improving affordable energy access for all South Africans.
Add your name to this petition!
350Africa is calling on the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to publically commit to not funding Thabametsi coal-fired power station because of the devastating effects this will have in Lephalale, Limpopo, South Africa.
Emissions from Thabametsi are going to be far worse than Eskom’s newest coal-fired power stations, Medupi and Kusile, and even worse than some of the country’s older power plants. Thabametsi should not even be considered because it uses some of the most polluting coal-burning technologies, with a contribution to climate change to match. What is worse, is that the effects of coal on many South Africans are insurmountable. Poor health, conflict, broken homes are but some of the effects of coal.
While we applaud the DBSA’s backing of renewable energy initiatives in South Africa, these positive steps run the risk of being undermined by pouring money into projects like Thabametsi. Renewable energy like wind and solar is not only cleaner but cheaper. Renewable energy works.
We’re calling for a shift in South Africa’s energy system and that begins with putting a stop to plans for any new coal infrastructure. This May, your petition will be delivered to the DBSA as part of a wider regional movement for a coal-free Africa.
videos
PAYING MORE FOR COAL POWER
Compared to a least-cost energy system that combines wind, solar, and gas, the inclusion of new coal plants in South Africa’s energy future is set to cost the country’s electricity consumers an additional R19.68 billion. This figure could be better invested in building South Africa’s economy, social protection systems and a just transition pathway.
4 Reasons for DBSA to adopt a coal exclusion policy
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