By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Forestry, fisheries & the environment minister Dion George on Tuesday, said South Africa would lead by example in pursuit of a just transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient and inclusive society.
George made the remarks at the first virtual meeting of the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG).
In his opening address, he outlined an ambitious agenda focused on biodiversity, climate finance, waste management, and ocean conservation.
With less than five years remaining to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), George said, poverty and inequality remain pressing global challenges, while carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise.
“The G20 can play a crucial part in halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030, aiming for a ‘nature-positive world’ for the benefit of people and the planet. Building on the Brazilian presidency’s initiative on bioeconomy, this priority area will also deal with the role of the bioeconomy, nature and wildlife economy in contributing to livelihoods of communities,” he said.
According to the minister, the ECSWG will also aim to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought by maintaining existing healthy land, reducing existing degradation by adopting sustainable land management and regenerative practices that can slow degradation while increasing biodiversity, soil health, and food production.
The third priority of the ECSWG focuses on chemicals and waste management, George said, noting that the G20 can support the development of a legally binding international treaty to combat plastic pollution.
South Africa is also focusing on climate change and air quality, while the final priority area is on oceans and coasts, which focuses on the importance of Marine Spatial Planning as an integrated approach to improving the rational planning, management and governance of the ocean space and marine resources, he said.
The minister also revealed that the ECSWG will continue discussions throughout the year, with in-person meetings scheduled in July at Kruger National Park and October in Cape Town, where delegates will finalize key policy recommendations ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Meanwhile George will on March 31 announce a decision regarding Eskom’s application for additional minimum emission standards (MES) exemptions for some of its coal-fired power stations.
In May last year, then Minister Barbara Creecy granted Eskom permission to continue to operate Hendrina, Grootvlei, Arnot, Camden and Kriel at existing MES plant limits until March 31, 2030, after which the stations would be decommissioned.
She also directed Eskom to submit an application in terms of section 59 of the National Enviroment Management: Air Quality Act for exemptions in respect of Matla, Duvha, Tutuka and Kendal for a final determination.
Having received the exemptions for Hendrina, Grootvlei, Arnot, Camden and Kriel, Eskom indicated that it would be applying for MES exemptions for the four coal stations scheduled to continue operating after 2030.
Creecy’s decision followed an appeal of the National Air Quality Officer’s October 2023 MES decision, which Eskom said would lead to the shutting of 30 000 MW of capacity, as the cost of retrofitting the plants to meet air-pollution limits would be a prohibitive R300-billion. The application for exemptions was made in the context of extreme loadshedding in 2023 and was granted as the rotational power cuts began to ease in 2024.
George stressed that the decision was a complex one, as it required “balancing South Africa’s energy needs to drive economic growth with the constitutional right to a healthy enviroment.”
He argued, however, that Eskom could not be given a “blanket waiver to continue polluting without accountability”, adding that South Africa could not remain trapped in a persistent cycle of energy insecurity and enviromental degradation that harmed public health.
George also asserted that Eskom’s monopoly over electricity generation and transmission had stifled competition, slowed the adoption of renewable energy, and left South Africa exposed to energy insecurity.