On the same day as the International Panel on Climate Change releases its Fifth Assessment Report dealing with the science behind climate change (AR5), activists from Greenpeace Africa have staged a protest at the Department of Trade and Industry offices in Pretoria against a proposed third coal-fired power station in South Africa, which was announced by Minister Rob Davies.

“We have previously observed with appreciation how the Department of Trade and Industry has both supported and committed to the development of the renewable energy industry. But the recent announcement related to coal 3 puts this commitment at risk. The choice to invest in yetmore coal compromises the urgently needed renewable energy investments necessary to curb the threats posed by climate change” said Melita Steele, climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace Africa.

The AR5 report confirms what we already know about climate change, and makes itclear that it is now virtually certain (95% or more) that human activities have warmed the global climate system. The decade of the 2000s has been the warmest in the instrumental record and there are alarming signs of accelerating impacts accompanying the long-term warming trend. The scenario that keeps warming below 2°C implies that fossil fuel emissions will need to stop growing before 2020 and reach zero by around 2070. The longer we keep on burning fossil fuels and clearing forests, the worse our chances of facing climate chaos become.

“Today, we are handing over an open letter to the Minister[4], urging the Department of Trade and Industry to reconsider its support of coal 3, which is likely to sabotage the South African economy rather than reignite it. Building yet another coal-fired power station seems to both ignore the grim science behind potentially catastrophic climate change as outlined by the IPCC, and the opportunities offered by renewable energy. Burning coal to produce electricity is one of the dirtiest and most destructive practices on the planet” added Steele.

“It is critical to stop building new coal-fired power stations to safeguard South Africa’s water resources, avoid human health impacts and avert some of the worst impacts of climate change.The global energy sector is the largest contributor tohuman-caused climate change, accounting for two thirds of global emissions” continued Steele

“But there is hope; it is possible to create a new future because renewable energy and the smarter use of energy can very easily replace fossil fuels as coal is phased out in a just transition. We just need to choose a better future than the one currently facing us, and there is simply no need for a third massive coal-fired power station” ended Steele.