LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN - ESKOMS NON-COMPLIANCE WITH OBLIGATIONS TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT REMAINS A MATERIAL LIABILITY

The Life After Coal Campaign argues that Eskom's reliance on coal-fired power is economically unsustainable and causes severe health and environmental damage. The campaign advocates for the accelerated decommissioning of ageing stations and a just transition to renewable energy, citing studies that suggest this would reduce costs and save lives.

• Eskom's current business model of large coal-fired baseload stations is described as economically unsustainable and socially and environmentally catastrophic, contributing to a financial "death spiral".
• A study by Meridian Economics suggests that Eskom could save up to R17 billion by accelerating the decommissioning of the Hendrina, Grootvlei, and Komati stations and curtailing the completion of Kusile units 5 and 6, without affecting the security of supply.
• The economic cost of air pollution from coal-fired generation in South Africa is estimated at approximately R33 billion per year, resulting in 2,239 equivalent attributable deaths.
• Eskom's coal-fired power stations are highly water-intensive, with a net annual water consumption of 314.685 million cubic metres, posing a risk in a water-scarce country.
• Eskom's intention to extend the lifespan of its ageing stations to 60 years conflicts with South Africa's Paris Agreement obligations and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), as the national plateau and decline trajectory model is based on a 50-year lifespan.
• The campaign highlights Eskom's non-compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) and the lack of existing decommissioning plans or cost assessments.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN - ESKOMS NON-COMPLIANCE WITH OBLIGATIONS TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT REMAINS A MATERIAL LIABILITY. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/LAC-Letter-to-Eskom-1-Feb-2018_final.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN - ESKOMS NON-COMPLIANCE WITH OBLIGATIONS TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT REMAINS A MATERIAL LIABILITY. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/LAC-Letter-to-Eskom-1-Feb-2018_final.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN - ESKOMS NON-COMPLIANCE WITH OBLIGATIONS TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT REMAINS A MATERIAL LIABILITY |date=1 February 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/LAC-Letter-to-Eskom-1-Feb-2018_final.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018life, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN - ESKOMS NON-COMPLIANCE WITH OBLIGATIONS TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT REMAINS A MATERIAL LIABILITY}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/LAC-Letter-to-Eskom-1-Feb-2018_final.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }