Dear Editor
The DA has noted the resignation of Mr Daniel Mminele as head of the Presidential Climate Finance Task Team. Mr. Mminele was involved in developing the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) which drives the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).
There is no clarity yet as to who will take over from Mr Mminele and this has raised serious concerns about the future of the JETP.
Last year the DA raised the matter of ongoing delays around the development of the plan, which aims to make use of the $8.5 billion pledge from developed countries to shift South Africa’s energy production away from coal and towards renewable energy.
It is the DA’s belief that this commitment, made in good faith by the International Partners Group (IPG) comprising of the United States and European countries, was not being treated with the required urgency at the time by the ANC government. This was due in part to disagreements between senior ANC leadership regarding the shift towards increased renewable energy.
If the DA had not raised this matter via Parliament and its committees, the plan may have been shelved due to the ANC’s internal disagreements on the future of renewables. The senior leadership of the ANC does not seem to trust the commitments made by the developed world towards assisting with the green transition and instead chooses to defend high emitting countries like China.
We have recently seen this attitude in the report back to our committee by government negotiators, who repeatedly condemned developed countries for not giving more money to the developing world.
During a presentation to the portfolio committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on the COP27 negotiations on the 27th of January 2023, the chief government negotiator repeatedly condemned the developed world for GHG emissions but refused to issue even the slightest condemnation towards China, which contributes over 25% of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
The negotiator openly stated that they believed that any moves towards holding China to account for GHG emissions were simply part of a US conspiracy to isolate China and that the government would not be part of a strategy of “divide and rule.”
The truth is that the ANC government’s close relationship with the Chinese Communist Party means that they will never condemn China for their massive GHG emissions. The SA government has also made it abundantly clear that China should not have to contribute even a cent towards the proposed loss and damage fund as SA sees them as a developing country.
The ANC government’s condonation of China’s rampant pollution should not come as a surprise as the ANC continues to turn a blind eye towards offences caused by political regimes that it views as traditional allies.
Regards
Dave Bryant MP
DA Shadow Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries
