Integrated Resource Plan 2018 – groundWork comment

The commentary argues that the IRP 2018 is a form of 'climate denial' that lacks a meaningful carbon constraint and continues to prioritize coal and gas over cheaper, cleaner renewables. It highlights the severe health costs of air pollution from Eskom and criticizes the public consultation process as exclusionary. The authors advocate for a total phase-out of coal, the rejection of new extractive gas projects, and a transition to a socially owned renewable energy system that creates jobs and ensures energy justice for the poor.

• The IRP 2018 is criticized for lacking a genuine carbon constraint, effectively allowing power sector emissions to remain at 275 Mt CO2 per year through 2035, which the authors describe as 'a form of climate denial'.
• The document argues that the IRP 2018 severely undervalues the human cost of pollution; comparing its externality costs to European Environment Agency values suggests South African lives are valued between 18 and 36 times less.
• Air pollution from Eskom's fine particulate matter is linked to over 2,200 premature deaths annually and costs the economy approximately R33 billion through lost working days and health impacts.
• The authors claim the IRP's demand projections are unrealistic and that the plan's reliance on tariff hikes and deals for big industry will leave residential consumers and the poor with an 'overpriced slum grid'.
• New coal plants, specifically the Thabametsi and Khanyisa independent power producers, are viewed as unnecessary and costly, with the Energy Research Centre estimating they will add R20 billion in costs and 170 Mt CO2 in emissions over 30 years.
• The commentary warns that the IRP's push for increased gas capacity may lead to environmentally damaging practices such as fracking in the Karoo or offshore exploration, while noting that methane leaks could negate the carbon advantages of gas over coal.
• The authors propose a 'Million Climate Jobs' alternative that would supply all of South Africa's electricity from renewables by 2038, potentially creating 250,000 initial jobs and 88,000 maintenance and operations jobs.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). Integrated Resource Plan 2018 – groundWork comment. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IRP-2018-gW-Comment-Final.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Integrated Resource Plan 2018 – groundWork comment. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IRP-2018-gW-Comment-Final.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Integrated Resource Plan 2018 – groundWork comment |date=26 October 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IRP-2018-gW-Comment-Final.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018integrated, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Integrated Resource Plan 2018 – groundWork comment}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/IRP-2018-gW-Comment-Final.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }