State Secretary Morgan visits South Africa to Strengthen Climate Cooperation and advance the Just Energy Transition Partnership

From September 2-6, State Secretary Morgan (Federal Foreign Office Germany) will visit South Africa to assess climate policy, the energy transition, and related structural changes in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and rural areas. She will also discuss the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with the South African government. The JETP aims to provide comprehensive support to South Africa in its transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Central to the partnership are the gradual phase-out of coal and the expansion of solar and wind power installations. This also involves necessary investments in infrastructure, such as electricity transmission lines, particularly in the coal regions of the country.

Morgan intends to deepen international climate cooperation with South Africa through her visit, exploring the opportunities and challenges the country faces in transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable practices.

On September 4, Morgan visited the Institute of Energy Professionals Africa NPC in Benoni, focusing on the skills required for the just energy transition. This was followed by a tour of the decommissioned Komati coal-fired power plant in the Mpumalanga province, which is considered a pilot project for the successful reuse of coal infrastructure. The visit concluded at the Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency in Emalahleni, which supports the diversification of economic sectors in Mpumalanga.

The German delegation was accompanied by GIZ & KFW representatives from the climate, skills, and energy clusters, who presented Germany’s various support contributions within the framework of the JETP. Special attention was given to creating new job opportunities and ensuring social justice during the transition process. A key success factor is the adaptation of vocational training to meet the demands of the new energy market and to provide affected workers with new opportunities in the renewable energy sector, which is supported by the skills cluster. The energy cluster supports the South African JETP in creating favourable conditions for renewable energy, particularly through technical and regulatory support for the ongoing electricity sector reform and the development of a green hydrogen economy.

#JustEnergyTransition #JETP #RenewableEnergy #ClimateAction #SouthAfricaGermany #EnergyTransition #GreenHydrogen #VocationalTraining #ClimateJustice #SustainableJobs #SAGEN #CPD4E

Author: Elaine Cheung, elaine.cheung@giz.de

Pictures: ©GIZ/Slebz Collen

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