Cape Town - Several organisations and groups concerned with the country’s energy transition have taken issue with natural gas as one of the government’s proposed solutions to South Africa’s energy crisis.
They were responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address last week, in which he made a commitment to increasing South Africa’s procurement of renewable energy.
Francesca de Gasparis, executive director of the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI), said Ramaphosa laid out the energy crisis well, especially how much energy needed to be brought in and the clear plan set out for renewable energies.
“However, there was lots missing in his discussion about our energy systems and the problems we face. Particularly problematic was the mention of gas as a solution to climate change.
“Gas is a fossil fuel and as much as there is misinformation out there that gas and nuclear energy could help us in a just transition, those energy systems are not going to help us create a just transition,” she said.
Greenpeace Africa welcomed Ramaphosa’s reaffirmed commitment to procuring renewable energy capacity under Bid Window 5, but said he should let go of any fantasies that gas power would light South Africa's future.
Greenpeace Africa climate and energy campaigner Nhlanhla Sibisi said said: “Gas will only lock South Africa into a high emissions trajectory and derail our commitments under the Paris Agreement. Hydrogen is not the answer either.
“The best and most immediate solution to South Africa’s problems is a just transition to renewable energy. It’s that simple.”
Green Connection strategic lead, Liz McDaid, said South Africa was going to suffer the worst from climate change and a plan was needed to address this but it should not involve oil and gas exploration as it was already well shown that the government needed to leave the oil and gas industry alone and leave fossils behind to mitigate climate change, build resilience and support livelihoods.
Christian Adams, a small-scale fisher on the West Coast and an applicant in the Western Cape High Court case last month to halt the oil and gas exploration to take place on the West Coast, added that the government needed to recognise how this pursuit of fossil fuel energy was affecting communities and the livelihoods of small-scale fishers.
“This is the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, as declared by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
As a South African organisation, we are part and parcel of the food and agriculture organisation and, yet again, the president decided not to mention the year, or small-scale fishers and their cultural heritage,” Adams said.