ANTHONY BUTLER: Low-energy SA — the World Economic Forum’s ultimate insult
South Africa came second to last in the forum’s Energy Transition Index; is there the will to abandon coal, bypass unnecessary nuclear and move directly to renewables?
The challenges facing new Energy Minister Jeff Radebe were thrown into stark relief this week by the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) report on Fostering Effective Energy Transitions. The report highlighted a global need to reach a billion people currently without access to energy, to keep costs affordable, to reduce carbon emissions, and to accommodate and exploit new technologies. The Forum’s Energy Transition Index (ETI) measures how well national energy systems promote inclusive economic growth, secure reliable access to energy, and advance environmental sustainability. It also assesses "transition readiness" — the ability of a country to secure the capital, skills, effective regulatory mechanisms, stable institutions, and supportive infrastructure required to facilitate a transition to a low-carbon economy. Like many such composite indices, ETI rests on questionable methodological foundations, but it can, nevertheless, help governments understand how they are performing relative to...
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