Green Energy vs Coal: Sustainability Policy Crisis in South Africa

Abstract

The article explores the impact of global decarbonization trends and climate pledges on the South African coal industry. As alternative energy sources become cheaper and structural changes emerge in the energy sector, negative trends in coal industry development arise, namely industry destabilization. This study aims to investigate the government’s role in this process. It analyzes policy and strategic documents and the discourse surrounding decarbonization and the coal industry’s future. Interviews with coal industry representatives, officials, and experts from government and non-government organizations in South Africa were conducted. The study shows that South Africa’s government plays a passive role in managing the destabilization processes in the coal industry caused by global decarbonization trends and climate commitments. It distances itself, exacerbating uncertainty in the industry. There are numerous discursive contradictions within the government itself, leading to a lack of coordination between agencies and hindering the development of a unified strategy to support the coal industry in a changing energy landscape. The author revealed that the government does not support innovations and the implementation of clean technologies in the coal sector. As a result, the industry continues to operate in an outdated and unsustainable mode. Rather than promoting a new development agenda, the government supports an inertial transformation scenario, slowing down the decarbonization process and hindering the transition to more sustainable energy models. The findings are significant for understanding the role of governments in transforming the coal sectors of countries where coal remains a vital element of the economy.