Long-term sustainable growth and development in South Africa will require a transition away from the country’s current coal-intensive energy system and economy towards an economy backed by an environment-friendly and renewable energy system.

The country is highly dependent on coal and is energy intensive. This plays out in an economy marred by a considerably high level of unemployment and inequality. Therefore, a transition is needed, speakers said during an Southern Africa-Towards Inclusive Economic Development workshop, in Pretoria, on Wednesday.

The workshop explored scenarios for South Africa’s transition from a coal-intensive energy system and economy towards a climate-friendly and renewable energy system.

Speakers at the workshop noted that while there was no clear, concrete picture of what this future system would entail, it was vital that the country was planning to move towards such a system.

Speaking at the workshop, University of Cape Town economist Faaiqa Hartley emphasised the importance of including renewables in the country’s energy mix.

She indicated that when not constrained, renewable energy presented a source of primary production of electricity.

Moreover, she highlighted that renewables allowed for considerable decarbonisation of the power sector.

Hartley pointed out that the exclusion of renewables from the energy mix would result in the use of more expensive energy technologies.

Further, she pointed out that if renewable energy sources were excluded, South Africa's gross domestic product would be 6% lower by 2050 than if renewables were included in the energy mix.

Further, employment will be affected in the long term; and carbon emissions will continue to increase, with this flying in the face of the country’s international commitments to decrease emissions.

Therefore, Hartley emphasised that the long-term goals of economic development and decarbonisation were no longer mutually exclusive.

For South Africa, she emphasised that the least-cost energy technology mix included a considerable share of renewable energy, specifically solar photovoltaic and wind.