JET
South Africa’s Just Energy Transition
Global Context
A Global Climate Crisis
The global narrative surrounding the Just Energy Transition (JET) underscores an immediate, collective pivot towards sustainable energy sources to address the mounting threats of climate change. This strategic shift is pivotal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the dire climatic repercussions on people and ecosystems worldwide.
Internationally, this urgency is anchored by commitments like the Paris Climate Agreement, aiming to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius—a threshold we are perilously close to surpassing. The United Nations bolsters JET with its Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 7 and SDG 13, which champion affordable clean energy and decisive climate action. JET embodies a holistic approach, integrating socio-economic equity into the environmental agenda. It strives to correct historical injustices of the fossil fuel era by ensuring equitable benefits distribution in the nascent renewable energy economy.
Local Context
South Africa's Just Energy Transition
Locally, South Africa confronts an acute energy crisis with widespread implications. Reliance on outdated coal plants has precipitated persistent load-shedding, thwarting economic progress and compounding socio-economic woes—from corporate strain to job instability and diminished tax revenues for public services.
The government’s response, articulated in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 and propelled by the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), seeks to reconcile economic disparities with sustainable energy diversification. The PCC’s stewardship of South Africa’s JET, bolstered by an $8.5 billion international partnership, embodies the nation’s resolve to align with the global green shift. Moreover, this transition transcends environmental benefits, aspiring to uplift communities, spawn local industries, and combat poverty, indicating a future where economic prosperity and ecological stewardship are inseparable.
Ummbila Emoyeni’s contribution
Ummbila Emoyeni is a commitment to align with South Africa’s Just Energy Transition through a multifaceted strategy. Our approach marries the generation of renewable energy with responsible carbon management, ensuring that as we produce cleaner energy, we also conscientiously reduce our carbon footprint. Central to our ethos is the employment of skilled workers, whom we guide into diversified roles that reflect the evolving landscape of energy jobs. We’re dedicated to the reduction of waste and, equally, to catalysing broader social and economic development within the communities we serve. At the core of our operations is a pledge to local ownership and the utilisation of local capital, encapsulating our dedication to proudly South African solutions for our nation’s energy challenges.
To read more about the project’s social and economic impact, focusing on job creation, skills development, and uplifting local communities in line with the JET’s objectives, link through to our community page here.
Partnerships & Collaborations
