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The Presidential Climate Commission held its 12th Ordinary Quarterly on Friday 17th November in Johannesburg at Constitutional Hill Precinct, and unanimously adopted the Komati power station decommissioning and repurposing Report and Recommendations for future just energy transition projects in South Africa.

The adoption follows the commission’s decision during its 11th Quarterly meeting in September, to further consult and engage with community, local municipalities, and Eskom. The engagements included a Multistakeholder Community Consultation on the 27th of October and a special meeting of the PCC with President Cyril Ramaphosa on the 10th of November, at which the President further requested the commission to facilitate his own visit to the Komati early in 2024 to ensure that no momentum is lost. 

“The adoption of the report by the commission and the President’s commitment to take it to cabinet lays a solid basis through which the just transition should be realised” - “The recommendations present a blueprint for ensuring that justice is centrally located in future coal plant decommissioning, repowering, and repurposing projects, including getting the timing and sequencing right as well as properly engaging with communities.”  - said Mr Valli Moosa, PCC Deputy Chairperson

NATIONAL SURVEY ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE JUST TRANSITION AWARENESS

The PCC hailed the Human Science Research Council for conducting the first ever South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) focused on Public Awareness, Beliefs and Behaviour - Attitudes towards Climate Change and the Just Transition and the findings therein, highlighting key areas to build on for a continued awareness on climate change and inevitably transition to lower carbon emission in a ‘just’ manner.

This survey is part of   SA Social attitude survey (SASAS) series, which in 2007 focused on examination of climate change attitudes, 2010 cross national survey on broader attitudes to environment and 2017 in-depth module on climate change attitudes.

This meeting resolved to further interpret findings and develop deeper understanding to enable the commission to develop and lead a nationwide Just Transition Climate Action and Awareness Campaign with the support of government and the social partners.

JUST ENERGY TRANSITION INVESTMENT PLAN AND CLIMATE FINANCE LANDSCAPE

The Commission was presented with and noted the key findings of the SA Climate Finance Landscape Report which broadly outlines current state of private and public sector investment in climate smart or net—zero pursuant projects in South Africa.

A wide-ranging discussion was held with some of the perspectives being:

91% of finance was mobilised domestically for 2019-2021 and at the helm private sector accounted 86% of mobilised finances mobilised domestically.

At R132bn per annum, there is a discernible increase in climate finance compared to the previous report. Despite this increase, Climate Finance needs to be vastly scaled up to meet South Africa’s Just Transition needs. 

There is still a focus on renewable (green) energy investments, with relatively small flows towards adaptation and resilience.

The full report which will be released by the PCC on 29 of November ahead of COP28 acknowledges the role of government and public sector institutions in advancing the mobilisation of climate finance was acknowledged but urges for work to accelerate investment. 

The commission further noted and extensively reflected on its future mandate, institutional arrangements and governance in the context of the recent parliament’s approval of the Climate Bill and therefore urged the secretariate to continue with business reengineering process in preparation of the eminent concurrence by the National Council of Province (NCOP), the enactment of the Bill and assenting by the President.

The PCC Komati Power Station decommissioning, and repurposing Report and Recommendations accessed on this link and PCC website.

Issued by Presidential Climate Commission