CAPE TOWN, November 2 (ANA) – South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa secured around R131 billion in a bid to transition from coal and Eskom’s grid towards green energy.
According to CNN, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at the COP26 in Glasgow on Tuesday that a partnership between the US, UK, France, Germany and the European Union will together fund South Africa.
He said that the multilateral effort will be the model in which they can further help other developing nations move away from fossil fuels.
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Last month, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) released a report that said Eskom is the “world’s most polluting power company”.
CREA analysts say that Eskom has become the largest emitter of sulfur dioxide in the world and that these emissions contribute to pollution-related deaths.
“As most other regions with large power sector air pollutant emissions have made rapid progress in reducing emissions, Eskom has been stuck in place,” read the report.
“Eskom also emits more SO2 than the entire power sector of the EU and US, or the US and China, combined,” it said.
The funding comes after the UN development chief urged hosts UK to recognise the concerns of developing countries.
Last week, executive director of the UN development programme Achim Stiner said most developing countries are under severe stress due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For developing countries at this juncture, a sense of recognising their dilemmas is extremely important,” Steiner said.
“They do not need to be told that climate change is important and that everybody has to do more,” he said.
African News Agency (ANA)