Mantashe calls for affordable, balanced energy transition

SA officials stepped up their calls for a balanced approach to energy transition on Tuesday, arguing that economic development and environmental protection must work in tandem rather than in opposition.

“We must be allowed to integrate the two,” mineral & petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe said at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. “We cannot kill the economy to preserve ecology.”

Mantashe highlighted what he described as an imbalance in global climate responsibilities, noting that Africa contributes the least greenhouse gas emissions globally yet faces disproportionate pressure to decarbonise.

“We have a carbon tax, but the US, China and Russia don’t have it. It’s a tax on us because we’re trading with the EU,” Mantashe said, describing it as an “undue burden on a neglected continent”.

SA, which holds the G20 presidency until November, has focused its term on the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” advocating for financing solutions that support growth and inclusion alongside climate objectives.

Minister in the presidency Kgosientsho Ramokgopa emphasised during a separate session that Africa’s energy transition must address basic needs first. About 600-million Africans still lack reliable electricity access according to the International Energy Agency.

“We transition, you don’t transition in darkness,” Ramokgopa said. “When the lights are on, when industries and manufacturing pick up, when we lift people out of hunger and into jobs — then the conversation becomes real for Africa, not just an elite debate.”

The two-day forum, which ended on Tuesday, brought together finance ministers, business leaders and investors to discuss investment strategies and development priorities across the continent.

Reuters