South Africa must walk the talk at COP26

The Life After Coal campaign, consisting of groundWork, Earthlife Africa, and the Centre for Environmental Rights, issued a statement calling on South Africa to meet the lower bound of its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target range by accelerating the coal phase-out and renewable energy expansion. The campaign urges the South African government to lead developing nations at COP26 in demanding increased financial support from wealthy nations for adaptation and loss and damage.

• To align with the 1.5°C pathway, South Africa must meet the lower bound of its updated NDC target range, which is between 350 and 420 Mt CO2eq. The Life After Coal campaign identifies several urgent actions required to achieve this, including the cancellation of 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 new gas-fired power projects have already seen license or authorisation applications.
• The Life After Coal campaign advocates for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, calling for zero fossil fuels in electricity generation by 2040 and a completely zero fossil fuel economy by 2050. To meet emission targets, the campaign states that South Africa needs to install at least 4 GW of wind and solar capacity annually for the remainder of the decade.
• South Africa requires transition and climate finance to move away from coal over the next 30 years, covering Eskom debt, mitigation, adaptation, and a just transition. The campaign specifies that such funding must not be used for new fossil fuels, including gas, and must prioritize coal workers and communities to address unemployment, poverty, and inequality.
• At COP26, the campaign urges the South African government to lead developing countries in holding major emitters—specifically China, India, Australia, EU member countries, and the United States—accountable for their commitments. Key objectives include scaling up climate finance for low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries, operationalizing a Global Goal on Adaptation, and securing funding for 'loss and damage' caused by climate change.

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} }