BRICS 2013: “IS THE FUTURE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN GOOD HANDS?“
Questions Greenpeace
Durban, March 25, 2012: Wrong energy choices, informed by vested interests in
coal and nuclear are stopping millions of South Africans from accessing
electricity.
According to a new Greenpeace report released today,
misconceptions around renewable energy and the lack of political will remain
major stumbling blocks in clean energy development.
Two years after world leaders meeting in Durban for the UN talks failed to deliver a plan for
a clean energy future, Greenpeace questions whether Brazil, Russia India, China and South
Africa (BRICS) can lead the way in renewable energy development as the bloc gathers for a
two-day conference in the same city.
The ground-breaking report, Powering the future Renewable Energy roll-out in
South Africa, debunks the misconceptions surrounding renewable energy generation;
offers solutions to the barriers to its deployment; and presents success stories from across
the globe.
According to Kumi Naidoo, International Executive Director for Greenpeace “South Africa’s
current energy planning is dangerously shortsighted, ignoring the vast external costs of both
coal and nuclear and fails to provide electricity for millions of citizens”.
“A roof-top revolution will speed up the uptake of renewable energy if local and national
governments will agree to feed in tariffs, net metering and other small scale
renewable energy mechanisms,” said Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner Ruth
Mhlanga.
Greenpeace queries why the South African government continues to use public funds for
coal based power plants and the centralized energy distribution supply, when
renewable energy is cheaper, provides universal access and creates thousands of jobs.
“Falling costs of renewable energy alongside rising costs of fossil fuels such as coal
prove that the economics have already changed. These trends - highlighted in the report like many around the world show that the age of coal is over,” added Mhlanga.
South Africa can, and should champion renewable energy, one in which we see increased
access to cheap electricity, thousands of new jobs and the democratisation of energy
production. An Energy [R]evolution is possible if our leaders are willing to champion the
cause.
“South Africa, the BRICS bloc and the rest of the world can no longer afford
to wait – climate change is happening now. It is not technology, a lack of resources, nor
even economics that prevents an Energy [R]evolution but rather misconceptions and lack of
political will,” concluded Mhlanga.
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Notes to Editors
1.
The new report is available online: Powering the Future: Renewable Energy Roll-out
in South Africa
http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/Global/africa/publications/climate/RenewableEnergy
Report_PoweringTheFuture.pdf
2.
Advanced Energy [R]evolution for South Africa
http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/News/news/The-Advanced-Energy-RevolutionReport/
3.
The Green Jobs report
http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/News/news/More-Jobs-and-Progress-for-SouthAfrica/
4.
The True Cost of Coal for South Africa
http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/News/news/The-True-Cost-of-Coal/
5.
The True Cost of Nuclear for South Africa
http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/News/news/The-True-Cost-of-Nuclear-Energy/
Contacts
1.
Mbong Akiy, Greenpeace Africa Communications
Manager: makiy@greenpeace.org, +27716881274
2.
Ruth Mhlanga, Greenpeace Africa Climate and Energy
Campaigner: rmhlanga@greenpeace.org, +27725608699
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