
In addition to climate protection, there are many other good arguments for opting against coal and for renewable energies: That’s what Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, pointed out in a press briefing on Just Transition at COP25 in Madrid on December 12, 2019. Svenja Schulze and her team, including Karsten Sach, Director International and European Policy at BMU, highlighted the remarkable social and economic opportunities of decarbonizing the power sector and referred to assessment results of the COBENEFITS project in South Africa.
By decarbonising its power sector, South Africa could save up to USD 10 billion in health costs until 2050 thanks to better air quality. In the same time frame, more than 145,00 jobs could be created in the power sector and 30,000 people in marginalized communities could benefit from access to education programmes through socioeconomic development (SED) schemes. South African households could save up to USD 890,000,000 annually with solar PV self-consumption.
The COBENEFITS project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
Read more:
COP 25 Briefing: Co-Benefits for Just Energy Futures in South Africa
bmu.de/meldung/cop-top-globaler-kohleausstieg-und-just-transition (German only)