Cape Town – Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson says renewable energy is a basic need that should feature in all countries’ energy mix plans.
The Minister said this when she made closing remarks at the South African International Energy Conference (SAIREC) 2015 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Tuesday.
The conference, which officially started on Monday, deliberated on various topics and innovations in renewable energy and was attended by thousands of delegates from 82 countries.
“This has been a significant event – being the first of its kind on African soil and at a crucial time - a time where energy is a necessity to alleviate poverty and fast track sustainable development in a climate resilient manner.
“In South Africa, energy is a basic need,” she said.
Throughout the conference, Ministers and Deputy Ministers joined captains of industries, academics and government officials in deliberating on challenges facing the energy sector – from electricity demand versus supply on the African continent to looking at eco mobility and other innovations aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change.
The Minister said as countries prepare to meet at COP21 in Paris later this year, they need to be decisive in dealing with global warming.
“To meet the greenhouse gas reduction objectives and mitigate global warming, as governments we need to actively pursue low-carbon policies. On our respective journeys to lower carbon pathways, renewable energy has a major role to play in the energy mix,” she said.
While multinational corporations have converged on Africa to invest in renewable energy ventures – from wind turbines from off-shore winds to solar farms at strategic areas – the Minister said South Africa was committed to providing a long term solution to energy security across the continent, a continent where energy supply is limited.
The success story of the South African government’s Independent Power Producer programme dominated discussions at the conference, with some experts indicating that while it may not be possible to model it in other countries in its current form, it would assist in formulating tailored programmes based on their climate conditions.
The Minister said the roll-out of clean, affordable renewable energy was important to the continent’s development.
“In sub-Saharan Africa, the epicentre of the global challenge is to overcome energy poverty. However, I must say the challenges are surmountable and the benefits are immense.
“Energy contributes to a better quality of life. To those that have it, modern energy unlocks access to improved healthcare, improved education, improved economic opportunities and, even longer life.
“To those that don’t, it is a major constraint on their social and economic development. Africa’s energy sector is vital to its development,” the Minister said.
She also said that South Africa was committed to greening its economy and to shifting away from a heavy reliance on fossil fuels and heavy reliance on a resource extraction economy.
“Renewable energy offers a major opportunity to further develop our country into the lower carbon and climate resilient vision we have set out in our National Development Plan.
“It has the potential to stimulate job creation, skills development and a broader local economy as well as positively contributing to our national energy mix,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
