INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN AND REQUEST FOR A MEETING REGARDING SOUTH AFRICA’S ENERGY FUTURE

The Life After Coal Campaign, comprising the Centre for Environmental Rights, groundWork, and Earthlife Africa, urges the South African government to abandon new coal and nuclear power projects in favor of a least-cost, renewable energy trajectory. The campaign argues that current energy planning must adhere to constitutional rights, international climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, and scientific evidence showing that new fossil fuel infrastructure is no longer competitive. Citing studies from Meridian Economics, the CSIR, and other international bodies, the document asserts that accelerating the decommissioning of older coal plants and curtailing certain new units could save Eskom up to R17 billion while improving public health and environmental outcomes.

• The Life After Coal Campaign proposes eleven minimum principles for the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), including the requirement that it promote constitutional rights to health and a protected environment, use the least-cost combination of technologies, and factor in external costs to human health and the climate.
• The campaign argues that the IRP must align with South Africa's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, treating these as existing commitments rather than potential future scenarios.
• A study by Meridian Economics suggests that Eskom could save up to R17 billion by accelerating the decommissioning of the Grootvlei, Hendrina, and Komati coal-fired power stations and curtailing the completion of Kusile units 5 and 6.
• The document cites multiple analyses, including those from the CSIR, the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which conclude that new coal and nuclear plants are no longer competitive and that the lowest-cost capacity is provided by wind and solar.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN AND REQUEST FOR A MEETING REGARDING SOUTH AFRICA’S ENERGY FUTURE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LAC-Letter-to-Minister-Radebe_28-Feb-2018_final.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN AND REQUEST FOR A MEETING REGARDING SOUTH AFRICA’S ENERGY FUTURE. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LAC-Letter-to-Minister-Radebe_28-Feb-2018_final.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN AND REQUEST FOR A MEETING REGARDING SOUTH AFRICA’S ENERGY FUTURE |date=28 February 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LAC-Letter-to-Minister-Radebe_28-Feb-2018_final.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018introduction, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AFTER COAL CAMPAIGN AND REQUEST FOR A MEETING REGARDING SOUTH AFRICA’S ENERGY FUTURE}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LAC-Letter-to-Minister-Radebe_28-Feb-2018_final.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }