A Green New Eskom Transforming power, Transforming South Africa Welcome to this booklet about the Green New Eskom CONTENTS campaign. The campaign is a project of the Climate Justice Coalition – a South African coalition of civil society, Our Vision for a Green New Eskom 4 community based, trade union and grassroots organisations. These materials are produced by 350Africa.org in partnership Get Involved in Winning a Green New Eskom 6 with the Climate Justice Coalition. Transforming Eskom – A Detailed Overview 8 A Renewable Revolution 8 A Just Transition 10 In South Africa, we know that Eskom, our national electricity utility, is deep in trouble. The Green Takling corruption and serving the people 14 New Eskom campaign is about transforming Eskom from a national liability and the biggest polluter 17 on the continent into a national asset and a force for climate justice. The Green Industrialization of South Africa Systems Change, Not Climate Change 18 The Problem: Eskom’s old, unreliable The Solution: A better Eskom is possible. Assessing Eskom’s Plans 20 and polluting coal power stations plunge us One that provides affordable, reliable into rolling blackouts i.e. load-shedding or and clean energy. An Eskom that drives a The DMRE’s Harmful Energy Future 22 load reductions. Eskom has been mired in just transition to a more socially-owned corruption, which has driven it deep into renewable energy future that empowers and Deepening loadshedding 22 debt, sent electricity prices soaring, and benefits communities, workers, businesses Climate Denial 23 robbed the public purse of trillions of rands. and all South Africans. An Unjust Transition 23 Looking at Eskom now, it can be hard to Not only is a transformed Eskom possible, it think that it can be part of the solution is absolutely vital. We simply cannot ensure a Energy Authoritarianism 23 to our problems rather than the cause of prosperous and sustainable future for South Karpowership Corruption 24 them. It can be hard to think of Eskom as Africa without fixing Eskom. This may be one anything but a headache, a drain on the of the biggest and most important tasks in Mobilising for a Just Energy Future 25 taxpayer, and one of the gravest threats to creating a better South Africa for all. our economy and environment. About the Climate Justice Coalition and 350Africa.org 26 List of Supporters of the Green New Eskom campaign 27 The campaign: The Green New Eskom campaign is calling for rapid and just transition to a more socially owned, renewable energy powered, zero carbon economy, providing clean, safe & affordable Frequently Asked Questions 28 energy for all, with no worker or community left behind in the transition. References 30 This booklet outlines our vision of a Green New Eskom and details the potential to transform Es- kom. It also provides ways that you can be part of a movement to build a Green New Eskom. You can also take action online and sign up for updates at GreenNewEskom.org Graphic Design & Layout by Janet Botes No to fracking for fossil gas. An audit of all energy supply 9. Rather than polluting fossil gas, 14. contracts to recover costs on Our Vision for a Green New Eskom new gas plants should aim for and end overpriced contracts renewable hydrogen and biogas, – including the R14 trillion in which can help balance the grid overpriced coal contracts signed for renewables. South Africa and during 2008 loadshedding. We Sasol should become leaders in must also declare as odious the The Green New Eskom campaign and its vision was developed by the Climate Justice Coalition, a producing green hydrogen. corruption riddled World Bank South African coalition of civil society, grassroots, trade union, and community-based organisations. debt for Medupi.3 The coalition has put forward the following set of interconnected demands outlining their vision for A mass rollout of solar panels; transforming Eskom and South Africa’s energy sector. 10. electric vehicles and accompanying Expand the insufficient basic infrastructure; affordable, electrified 15. free electricity access grant for mass transit; smart grids; battery low-income households and ensure A rapid and just transition to The development and implementation and storage technologies; and all have access to sufficient reliable, 1. a more socially owned renewable 5. of green industrialisation policies, building efficiency retrofits affordable energy. We must protect, energy powered economy, providing which enables South Africa to proudly especially for low-income houses; not disconnect and load shed, our clean, safe & affordable energy for all, produce renewable energy and all with policies to encourage local most vulnerable citizens. with no worker or community left associated components. Priority should production. behind in the transition. also be given to vulnerable, coal- 16. No exemptions to Eskom or dependent, carbon-intensive regions.1 11. A massive skills, jobs, and Sasol for clean air regulations, Put in place a robust just transition training programme to create minimum emission standards, or 2. plan that invests in and protects Expand Eskom’s mandate to opportunities for the people of transparency on emissions data. workers & communities vulnerable 6. allow it to rapidly build renewable South Africa in the renewable We must strengthen regulations to in the transition to a zero-carbon energy & energy storage. They must energy economy and unlock One ensure clean for all, as argued in the future. We cannot leave workers and also make the investments needed to Million Climate Jobs. Women and Deadly Air or Umoya Obulalayo 4 communities behind in this transition. extend and upgrade the grid – allowing youth empowerment must be a Case. 2 They must be protected. socially owned renewable energy to vital part of this program. feed into the grid. 17. All communities impacted by Remove the constraints on 12. No to continued tariff hikes mining and energy projects must 3. renewable energy put in place Ending harmful and regressive which are making electricity have their free, prior and by the 2019 Integrated Resources 7. subsidies for coal, oil and fossil unaffordable and subsidizing informed consent respected by Plan and instead transition as fast as gas, and redirecting them to urgent corrupt and overpriced coal government and corporations. A possible to renewable energy. We needs like education, healthcare, contracts. While Eskom does need standard which must be enshrined must accelerate the transition in energy access, and renewable energy. to be able to cover its costs, South in the law and respected in line with South Africa’s fair share of The taxpayer cannot keep bailing out Africans should not be made to practice. keeping warming to 1.5C. polluting and uneconomic industries. pay for the corruption and looting at Eskom. 18. Beyond just energy, as the Cry Policies and incentives to enable No new coal power – so-called of the Xcluded and the Climate 4. 8. Restructuring Eskom to Justice Coalition have both socially owned renewable energy “clean coal” is an expensive polluting lie. 13. so workers, communities, small-to- Just Medupi & Kusile power stations are do away with corruption demanded, South Africa needs medium businesses, and families can projected to cost nearly R500 billion, and bloated, overpaid (mis) a radical Green New Deal own and benefit from clean energy. and that’s without technologies to clean management. Eskom needs to put which puts South Africans to Gender, racial, and economic justice them up, which Eskom has said are in place more transparent and work building a more socially and must guide these policies. simply too expensive. accountable structures to ensure ecologically just future, tackling our better public oversight, so that deep inequality, unemployment, and looting and corruption ends. poverty.5 4 5 Educate yourself and others: Want to learn more about what a Green New Eskom means? Visit GreenNewEskom.org/ GET INVOLVED IN learn. There you will find a flier, a booklet, podcasts, articles, and materials which can help you understand the issues better and WINNING A GREEN spread the word Join the Mass Mobilisation: We are building towards a NEW ESKOM COVID-safe, mass mobilisation around September 2021. We welcome supportive groups and people to join, educate and The future of Eskom is one of the most contested spaces in South Africa. It is captured by mobilise towards it. Receive updates when you sign up to sup- vested interests who stand to gain billions by continuing to loot, pollute, and corrupt our port the campaign at GreenNewEskom.org energy future. As such, it will take more than a politely worded letter to win a Green New Eskom. We are in a power struggle over the future of our country, and we will need to build a movement powerful enough to drive meaningful change and transformation. Contact decision makers: We need decision makers in Es- People from all walks of life will need to come together to win a Green New Eskom. We hope kom and the government to know that people support a Green you will join us in demanding a Green New Eskom. Here are some ways you can get involved. New Eskom. We must hold their feet to the fire, and push them. Find out how you can contact your decision makers at: Green- NewEskom.org/contact Sign on in support: At our website, GreenNewEskom.org, you can sign up in support of the campaign as an individual or you can Organise a workshop: Are you part of an organisation or endorse the campaign as an organisation. By doing so, you lend community group that wants to learn more about a Green New your voice in support, and can choose to receive updates about Eskom? Then please do organise a workshop either online or the campaign too.