South Africa’s energy department has said it will start preparing for the end of coal-for-power use in the country but cautioned that a retreat from the dirtiest fossil fuel must take account of the impact on the economy and the people who depend on it for a living. In a presentation to a small group of business, government and research representatives on November 15, the department said it plans to set up a Just Energy Transition unit to help deliver an outcome “which delivers social justice,” according to a copy of it seen by Bloomberg. While the department declined to immediately comment on the presentation, four people with knowledge of it confirmed its veracity.
