Eskom’s announcement was generally welcomed as one of the necessary steps on the road towards meeting the country's environmental commitments as a signatory to the Paris Accord. At the same time, however. this announcement gave new vigour to the concerns about the fate of workers and communities whose livelihoods depend on the coal economy.
It was clear that a just transition from a coal-intensive energy system to a low- carbon future would be needed. Such a transition would also have to be fair to energy users, offering them affordable prices and access to electricity.
“The key argument behind a just transition is that our move away from coal must be a process that is well managed, with a phased approach and clear guidelines that are followed in a planned manner. lmportantly, this is an approach that the trade unions also support," says Andrew van Zyl, director and principal consultant, SRK Consulting.
SRK Contributors:
Andrew van Zyl, Norman McGeorge, Ashleigh Maritz, Jessica Edwards
