South Africa must walk the talk at COP26

The Life After Coal campaign calls for South Africa to adhere to the lower bound of its updated NDC (350 to 420 Mt CO2eq) to align with the 1.5°C pathway. This requires cancelling all new coal and gas projects, accelerating the retirement of the coal fleet to reach zero fossil fuels in electricity by 2040, and building at least 4 GW of renewable capacity annually. The campaign also advocates for a just transition that prioritizes workers and communities and urges South Africa to lead at COP26 in demanding increased finance for adaptation and loss and damage from wealthy nations.

• To align with the 1.5°C pathway, South Africa must meet the lower bound of its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target range, which is between 350 and 420 Mt CO2eq.
• Urgent actions required to meet climate targets include cancelling all new coal projects—specifically the 1500MW in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and proposed plants in the Musina Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ)—and avoiding new gas infrastructure, noting that 25,000MW of gas-fired power projects have already seen license or authorization applications.
• The Life After Coal campaign advocates for a total phase-out of fossil fuels in electricity generation by 2040 and a completely fossil-fuel-free economy by 2050, requiring a faster retirement of the coal fleet than the 2019 IRP timetable.
• South Africa needs to build at least 4 GW of wind and solar capacity every year for the remainder of the decade to achieve its committed emission reduction targets, as current progress lags behind the 2019 IRP.
• At COP26, South Africa is urged to demand a scale-up of climate finance for low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries, specifically prioritizing a Global Goal on Adaptation and funding for loss and damage, noting that adaptation currently receives only 25% of total climate finance from developed to developing countries.

APA

Nozuko (2021). South Africa must walk the talk at COP26. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/news/statement-south-africa-must-walk-the-talk-at-cop26

Chicago

Nozuko. South Africa must walk the talk at COP26. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2021. https://cer.org.za/news/statement-south-africa-must-walk-the-talk-at-cop26.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Nozuko |title=South Africa must walk the talk at COP26 |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=13 October 2021 |url=https://cer.org.za/news/statement-south-africa-must-walk-the-talk-at-cop26 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{nozuko2021south, author = {Nozuko}, title = {{South Africa must walk the talk at COP26}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://cer.org.za/news/statement-south-africa-must-walk-the-talk-at-cop26}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }