- South Africa’s mining industry to gradually transition from coal
- Coal accounts for 82% of power generated in South Africa
The mining industry in South Africa will support a gradual transition from the use of coal for electricity generation so long as it is done in a responsible manner. In a presentation to the Presidential Climate Change Coordinating Commission (PCCC), the Chief executive officer (CEO) Minerals Council South Africa, Roger Baxter, supported the transition to a low-carbon economy.
”This energy and associated energy-intensive complex helped to develop the most industrialized country in Africa,” Baxter said. ”We support the transition to a low-carbon economy and society – contingent on doing it judiciously and systemically,” he added.
Baxter further noted that coal which accounts for 82% of the electricity generated in South Africa, has contributed to the development of other sectors of the economy. However, experts also warned that a transition from coal will cost South Africa at least 12,000 jobs by 2030.