We are calling on all funders and investors to halt external funding for South Africa’s just transition, including the R131 billion promised at the Glasgow COP Summit. The South African government is engaging in doublespeak and is not serious about ending its dependence on coal, oil and gas.

Having used coal for over 100 years, being the 12th highest emitter of carbon in the world and the highest emitter in Africa, South Africa’s government continues to subsidise coal (current estimates suggest R93 billion per annum according to a study by the OECD) with an extreme lack of transparency.

Moreover, as concerned citizens living in one of ten climate change hotspots, having experienced serious climate shocks such as droughts, flooding, tornadoes and very likely cyclones in the future, we believe the government isn’t committed to the climate emergency and is not accelerating the just transition. There is no ambitious just transition plan on the national agenda taking us beyond dependence on coal, oil and gas. Instead, the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, has publicly called for the intensification of fossil fuel extraction, including coal, at all costs. The South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has stood by this position in his recent State of the Nation Address, despite fierce and growing climate justice resistance in the country.

Moreover, despite our efforts, the parliament is also not adopting the Climate Justice Charter (https://cjcm.org.za/the-charter/en) shared with them on October 16, 2020.

South Africa’s government and parliament are pushing ahead with off-shore oil and gas extraction hence parliament is fast-tracking the Upstream Petroleum Development Bill. They are also fast-tracking the Gas Amendment Bill, which will make room for more methane (the deadliest greenhouse gas) and Karpowerships (for gas-based generation) production. The government is widening and strengthening fossil fuel legislation while keeping a cap on renewables!   

South Africa needs to do more to ensure the continent is not harmed by worsening climate crisis and injustice. This year's COP Summit is in Egypt and South Africa will participate as a carbon criminal state uninterested in a common climate justice agenda for the continent. We will be sharing this petition with the United Nations and relevant governments, led by our youth.

We want all external just transition funding to cease until the South African government declares it will stop:

-          All new investment in coal; and

-          All offshore extraction of oil and gas; and

-          All fracking in South Africa.

We call on all living in South Africa, our brothers and sisters on the continent, and everyone on the planet to stand with us and sign this petition.