SA’s energy system found wanting
SA ranked second from the bottom among 114 countries that were assessed for the state of their energy system and their readiness to adapt to future energy needs.
SA ranked second from the bottom on a list of 114 countries that were assessed for the current state of their energy systems and their readiness to adapt to future energy needs, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum.
The Fostering Effective Energy Transition Report effectively benchmarks countries’ capacity to transition from “brown to green” energy.
It ranked countries on their current energy system performance using three factors: energy security and access, environmental sustainability, and potential for inclusive economic growth and development. It also evaluated the extent to which enabling conditions were in place for a transition to a low-carbon economy.
SA scored plumb last for the structure of its energy system. Part of the reason for this low score was that it generated most of its electricity from coal and very little from renewable sources. It also ranked poorly (95th) for its share of global carbon emissions.
It scored particularly badly on policy stability (91st).
The report found worldwide progress towards environmental sustainability had stalled and energy prices had risen in real terms in more than half the countries surveyed, despite an overall fall in fuel prices.
“There is an urgent need to speed up the transition towards more sustainable energy production and use, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, greater access to energy and improvements in air quality. To do this we will need to harness a broad portfolio of energy technologies and deepen co-operation between governments, industry and civil society stakeholders,” said Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency and co-chair of the World Economic Forum Stewardship Board for Shaping the Future of Energy System Initiative.
Scandinavian and western European nations led the rankings, with Sweden, Norway and Switzerland taking the top three spots.