LETTER: Banking on coal is foolish
SA should emulate China and India, which are wisely cutting their reliance on the fossil fuel
Allan Seccombe (“Anglo plots SA coal exit and warns on latest Mining Charter (https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/mining/2019-07-29-anglo-plots-sa-coal-exit-and-warns-on-latest-mining-charter/)”, July 29) reflected on the fact that about 77% of SA’s primary energy needs are provided by coal and claimed that “this is unlikely to change in the decades to come as there is a distinct lack of alternatives as a viable source of energy. India and China’s reliance on imported thermal coal is expected to drive continued growing demand in the long term.”
Seccombe would do well to revisit what alternatives are available. In SA, CSIR research tells us renewable energy provides our lowest cost and most reliable energy future. India is on track to overachieve its Paris climate agreement goals and obtain 63% of its installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. China is investing over $300bn in renewable energy, and a recent study suggests it could peak its emissions ...
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