FORMER US vice-president Al Gore has warned South Africa about its dependence on coal-generated electricity and called for a new dialogue on the use of renewable sources and greener technology.
He was on Thursday addressing more than 700 delegates from across the globe gathered at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg for three days of training on climate change.
Mr Gore, the chairman of the Climate Reality Project, said the world was moving to renewable sources and South Africa had great potential to do the same.
“The production of electricity by coal here in South Africa is very expensive and very unreliable, as you have seen this year,” he said. “The interconnections between the mines and the utility (Eskom) … make it difficult to switch over (to renewable sources).”
Almost 90% of South Africa’s electricity is generated by coal-fired power stations.
The goal of the training session was to give delegates insight on climate change, to teach them to lobby for the cause and to build international networks.
The Climate Reality Project Africa, a new branch of the main organisation, will mobilise individuals and communities across the continent in the fight against climate change. About 60% of the delegates in Sandton were from Africa, and most were under the age of 25.
Climate change has been a topical issue in South Africa after heavy rains in large parts of the country in the past two weeks led to load shedding, deaths and severe damage to public infrastructure.
While Mr Gore was critical about the pace at which South Africa was moving towards using renewable sources of electricity, he said the country had huge potential for growth.
“South Africa has been rated the most attractive emerging photovoltaic (energy) market in the entire world but the subsidies are interfering,” he said.
Mr Gore dismissed the view that solar energy technology was expensive and difficult to deliver to poor communities. He said the cost of such technology had declined 15% last year.
He also said there were 79 nations in the world where solar electricity was cheaper than the average price of electricity from other sources.
“By the year 2020, 82% of all the people in the world will live in regions where solar electricity is equal to or cheaper than electricity from coal and other sources,” Mr Gore said. “We are going to see this spread and it will continue … and South Africa will join in.”
The first step in winning the war against climate change was dialogue, he said. “Before apartheid was defeated, the conversation about apartheid was won … South Africa can defeat the fight against global warming the same way it did with apartheid.”
Mr Gore used as examples poor nations such as Sierra Leone where pupils were using photovoltaic energy to power $100 computers at schools.
The world’s biggest polluter, China, is also doubling its effort in using renewable energy and has banned building of new coal-powered station.
The training session ended on Thursday.
Source: BDLive