South Africa has a legacy of coal reliance that if continued will only lead to more destruction and devastation. The reality is that there is no future in coal, despite what our leaders would have us believe. We need to stop this new procurement of coal-fired power and move through a Just Energy Transition toward socially owned renewables and alternatives. We need to #CancelCoal.
In November 2021, African Climate Alliance, Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action, and groundWork launched a landmark constitutional litigation. Represented by Centre for Environmental Rights this litigation seeks to demand that government abandons the 1500MW of coal-fired power in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan.
This want for new coal is unnecessary, and an unjustified limitation of the Section 24 right to an environment not harmful to health and wellbeing, along with other rights. This litigation is based beyond just the unconstitutional violation, it also finds its roots in the lived experience and reality of millions of South African’s from frontline mining affected community’s, and millions of youth who will inherit a world that will in anyway benefit them or the generations to come.
One of the biggest arguments for new coal-fired power is that through it South Africa’s economy will strengthen and that jobs will be created. Sadly what we are seeing is that with the existing coal dominated society, many remain unemployed and those that are working in the mining sector get paid the bare minimum.
Through the investment of renewables and alternatives and setting new coal aside we see an entirely new realm of possibilities open. New green jobs, retraining of existing workers in mines, and decent livable wages and salaries. As well as better livelihood’s for frontline communities who suffer from various enhanced respiratory illnesses because of the toxic emissions caused by the burning of coal. We also see the beginning of us securing the future for our youth and generations to come.
Through this court case and the campaign that goes alongside it environmental and social justices organisations hope to see a consensus amongst those living in South Africa and a verdict from the courts that states new coal-fired power is not the way forward. It is what the science is telling us as well as the reality on the ground. This understanding and ruling will not only help us today by shedding light on the harms that coal and other fossil fuels have on people and the planet, but also prevent the continued want for new coal procurement in the future.
We have a legacy of coal in South Africa, this is impart to our leaders not wanting to let it go because of alleged personal interest, but this legacy is not one we should be proud of. South Africa needs a Just Transition, we need to cancel coal!
Read more about Cancel Coal here: https://africanclimatealliance.org/2021/11/17/youth-led-cancelcoal-climate-case-launched-against-governments-plans-for-new-coal-fired-power/
By Gabriel Klaasen
