Civil society groups take state to court over plan for new coal power
17 November 2021 - 19:21
by Alexander Winning
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Three civil society groups have taken the government to court over its plan for new coal-fired power, which they say threatens people’s right to an environment not harmful to health.
SA already has 15 coal plants with a nominal capacity of more than 38,000MW and is the world’s 12th biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
The intention to build 1,500MW of new coal capacity is contained in the government’s Integrated Resource Plan, a 2019 document laying out the energy mix up to 2030.
At the UN COP26 climate summit earlier in November, SA secured $8.5bn of financing from wealthy nations to speed up its shift from coal.
Lawyers for the three groups — groundWork, the African Climate Alliance and Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action — wrote to mineral resources & energy minister Gwede Mantashe and energy regulator Nersa in September demanding that the plan for 1,500MW of new coal capacity be scrapped.
The groups argue that burning coal is the biggest contributor to global climate change, in addition to it posing unacceptable risks to health through air and water pollution.
The lawyers said in a statement on Wednesday that the government had not responded to their “letter of demand” and that litigation had now been launched in the high court.
“New coal-fired power flies in the face of our constitutional right to an environment not harmful to health and wellbeing, not only for the present generations but for future ones too,” said Nicole Loser, programme head for pollution and climate change at the Centre for Environmental Rights.
“There is no justifiable basis for the limitation of constitutional rights because cleaner and less harmful renewable energy is both a feasible and cheaper alternative to new coal power,” the statement added.
Officials for Mantashe, the mineral resources & energy department and Nersa could not immediately comment.
Mantashe has argued that the transition towards renewable energy should not be rushed.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Civil society groups take state to court over plan for new coal power
Three civil society groups have taken the government to court over its plan for new coal-fired power, which they say threatens people’s right to an environment not harmful to health.
SA already has 15 coal plants with a nominal capacity of more than 38,000MW and is the world’s 12th biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
The intention to build 1,500MW of new coal capacity is contained in the government’s Integrated Resource Plan, a 2019 document laying out the energy mix up to 2030.
At the UN COP26 climate summit earlier in November, SA secured $8.5bn of financing from wealthy nations to speed up its shift from coal.
Lawyers for the three groups — groundWork, the African Climate Alliance and Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action — wrote to mineral resources & energy minister Gwede Mantashe and energy regulator Nersa in September demanding that the plan for 1,500MW of new coal capacity be scrapped.
The groups argue that burning coal is the biggest contributor to global climate change, in addition to it posing unacceptable risks to health through air and water pollution.
The lawyers said in a statement on Wednesday that the government had not responded to their “letter of demand” and that litigation had now been launched in the high court.
“New coal-fired power flies in the face of our constitutional right to an environment not harmful to health and wellbeing, not only for the present generations but for future ones too,” said Nicole Loser, programme head for pollution and climate change at the Centre for Environmental Rights.
“There is no justifiable basis for the limitation of constitutional rights because cleaner and less harmful renewable energy is both a feasible and cheaper alternative to new coal power,” the statement added.
Officials for Mantashe, the mineral resources & energy department and Nersa could not immediately comment.
Mantashe has argued that the transition towards renewable energy should not be rushed.
Reuters. With Bekezela Phakati
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