Photo by: Bloomberg
South Africa should not be allowed to create new coal-fired power stations if it is to tackle its carbon emissions and meet the global goal of keeping temperature increases below 2 °C, says South African environmental and antinuclear organisation Earthlife Africa energy policy officer Dominique Doyle.
At a Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection and Development Bank of Southern Africa panel discussion on how to tackle the transition to a low-carbon economy, on Tuesday, she noted that the country produced 93% of its electricity from coal.
“Coal is not good for the rich, the poor or anyone. While people in some provinces, such as Gauteng, enjoy the electricity, people in coal mining and power producing intensive areas such as Witbank, Mpumalanga, are really feeling the impact of the coal industry.
“At the moment, the coal-powered stations are in such disrepair that pollution is worsening, with people living in the areas suffering with diseases such as tuberculosis and respiratory diseases,” she said, adding that some 2 700 premature deaths was caused every year, owing to the pollution.