Yesterday, together with a group of individuals and activists from various partner organisations including Project 90 by 2030, The Green Anglicans, and Fossil Free South Africa gathered outside the Energy Week South Africa summit at the Westin Hotel, in Cape Town calling on the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to not fund the Thabametsi coal fired power station.
The summit, taking place over the 11th and 12th of December 2018 is an international gas cooperation and renewable energy gathering with energy leaders, including the DBSA meeting to showcase renewable energy gas utilisation and procurement strategies to strengthen ties in the region’s energy value chain.
The DBSA’s presence at the summit was an opportunity to call on the development bank to stop undermining the good work that they’re doing in investing in renewable energy by planning on financing the proposed Thabametsi coal fired power station. Plans for new coal powered development in South Africa are not consistent with the need to limit global temperature increase to below 1.5°C, as confirmed by the latest IPCC report.
The #ThumaMinaDBSA campaign, aims to get the DBSA aims to truly live up to their vision to ‘Make Change Happen’ by publicly committing to not finance the Thabametsi coal power station. Funding coal leaves far too many South Africans exposed to longer, more intense droughts that exacerbate inequalities that already have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable in our society.
Yesterday’s mobilisation was about demanding real solutions to the climate crisis from the DBSA who should continue their work supporting renewable energy and commit to not fund the Thabametsi coal power plant. There is an opportunity for them to become real leaders in promoting clean energy solutions towards a fair, fast and just transition from fossil fuels.
Ahmed Mokgopo