The Road to Copenhagen: Climate Change, Energy and South Africa’s Foreign Policy

The document argues that South Africa's international credibility in climate negotiations is undermined by a domestic reliance on fossil fuels and a slow integration of climate considerations into economic policy. Using Robert Putnam's 'two-level game' framework, it highlights the tension between Level I (international negotiations) and Level II (domestic interests), particularly the influence of the coal and oil industries. While South Africa champions developing nations' interests globally, its domestic energy strategy continues to favour coal-fired power and coal-to-liquids technology. The paper suggests that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region offers untapped renewable energy potential that could help reconcile these competing imperatives.

• South Africa's international credibility in calling for carbon emission reductions is compromised by the government's failure to mainstream climate change into social and economic development priorities.
• The South African energy sector is heavily carbon-intensive, with coal-fired power stations providing 93% of electricity production and coal accounting for approximately 70% of the total primary energy supply.
• Despite international commitments to mitigate emissions, South Africa has continued to promote carbon-intensive coal-to-liquids (CTL) technology and has entered into oil production and refinery deals with Venezuela.
• Powerful domestic business and industry interests, particularly in the fossil fuel sector, create a 'Level II' pressure that may prevent the ratification of rigorous international emission reduction targets.
• South Africa has shifted its international role from a 'bridging' position between developed and developing nations to one that champions the interests of developing states, specifically demanding that developed countries take the lead in binding reductions.
• The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region possesses significant renewable energy potential, such as the Inga hydropower projects in the DRC and Cahora Bassa in Mozambique, which could drastically reduce South Africa's coal dependency.
• The South African government has invested heavily in nuclear technology, specifically the pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR), as a 'clean' energy alternative, despite criticisms regarding its high cost and the carbon emissions associated with the nuclear fuel cycle.
• The Long Term Mitigation Scenarios (LTMS) document suggests a path toward reducing emissions, but it is not official government policy and contradicts current decisions to build new coal-burning power stations.

APA

Masters, L. (2009). The Road to Copenhagen: Climate Change, Energy and South Africa’s Foreign Policy. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Occasional-Paper-47.pdf

Chicago

Masters, Lesley. The Road to Copenhagen: Climate Change, Energy and South Africa’s Foreign Policy. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2009. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Occasional-Paper-47.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Masters |first1=Lesley |title=The Road to Copenhagen: Climate Change, Energy and South Africa’s Foreign Policy |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Occasional-Paper-47.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{masters2009road, author = {Masters, Lesley}, title = {{The Road to Copenhagen: Climate Change, Energy and South Africa’s Foreign Policy}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Occasional-Paper-47.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }