S.Africa to get USD 8.5 bn from rich nations to give up coal

S.Africa to get USD 8.5 bn from rich nations to give up coal
South Africa has placed a big bet on locally-sourced coal to produce electricity, like at the Kendal Power Station, but the nation's power company is initially exempt from the carbon tax AFP/File

Glasgow, United Kingdom, Nov 3 – South Africa on Tuesday won a commitment from a group of rich nations for at least USD 8.5 billion and technical assistance to help the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

France, Germany, Britain and the US, as well as the EU, signed the accord with Johannesburg at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow to help ensure a “just transition” for South Africa’s coal-dependent economy, they said in a statement.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hailed the deal as “a watershed moment… proof that we can take ambitious climate action while increasing our energy security, creating jobs and harnessing new opportunities for investment, with support from developed economies”.

The donors will provide initial funding of $8.5 billion (7.3 billion euros) over three to five years in “grants, concessional loans, investments and risk-sharing instruments, notably to involve the private sector”, the statement said.

The agreement, which is accompanied by a technical assistance component, focuses in particular on transforming the country’s electricity generation system.

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