Johannesburg, 25 July 2022 – In response to President Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on the electricity crisis, Greenpeace Africa’s Climate and Energy Campaigner Thandile Chinyavanhu has said:
“Greenpeace Africa applauds the announcement of feed-in tariffs. We have been calling for this for some time. It allows South Africans who are able to the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the end of load shedding.
“After years of campaigning, we welcome the decision to remove the arbitrary threshold for renewable energy generation. South Africa has not even begun to exhaust its renewable energy potential, and this is a big step towards that end. We also know that there is massive potential for job creation in a just transition to renewable energy, and South Africa’s unemployed youth are eager to join the workforce..
“The President must keep people and the planet in mind. Stabilising our energy system and safeguarding our environment are not mutually exclusive; renewable energy is the answer to both the energy and climate crises. The measures announced tonight must not lock the country into a high-emissions trajectory and keep us from meeting our climate commitments. South Africa has the opportunity to lead the world out of fossil fuel dependence, and this won’t be achieved by continued reliance on fossil fuels,” ended Chinyavanhu.
ENDS
Contact details
Greenpeace Africa Press Desk: [email protected]
Chris Vlavianos, Greenpeace Africa Communications Officer, [email protected], +27798837036