World Bank’s Marie-Nelly on backing SA’s sustainable future

The World Bank has been instrumental in supporting South Africa's ambitious journey towards a sustainable future, focusing on climate action, decarbonization, and just energy transition. Marie Francois Marie-Nelly, the World Bank Country Director for South Africa, highlighted the Bank's commitment to backing South Africa in achieving its climate goals. Marie-Nelly commended South Africa's efforts in taking concrete steps to address climate change, including setting up the Presidential Climate Commission and articulating a just transition framework to ensure a fair shift towards green energy. The recent collaboration with South Africa on the Comati coal-powered plant showcased how mitigation and transition can coexist, prioritizing fair treatment for workers and communities. The World Bank's partnership with South Africa extends to supporting the transition to renewable energy, with plans to replace coal plants with 12 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. The Bank's involvement in the Comati project not only focuses on renewable energy deployment but also on retaining jobs and creating new opportunities for the affected communities. The Bank's report on climate and development in South Africa underscores the importance of addressing both decarbonization and adaptation challenges faced by the country. Marie-Nelly emphasized the significant financial investment required for South Africa to meet its climate targets, with estimates projecting a need for trillions of rand by 2050. Despite the financial challenge, Marie-Nelly expressed confidence in South Africa's ability to achieve its goals with the right support and investments. The conversation also delved into the issue of job retention during the green transition, with the Bank highlighting the potential for job creation in renewable energy while acknowledging the need for managing the transition effectively. The focus on supporting workers and communities impacted by the transition was evident in the Comati project, which aims to create new economic and social opportunities to mitigate job losses. When discussing South Africa's ongoing power challenges and the role of Eskom in the transition, Marie-Nelly stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to improve the quality and reliability of the energy supply. Despite the current power cuts plaguing the country, Marie-Nelly expressed optimism about Eskom's plans to enhance its fleet and accelerate renewable energy production. The World Bank remains supportive of South Africa's efforts to address its energy challenges and transition to a greener future. Looking ahead to COP27, Marie-Nelly emphasized the importance of maintaining advocacy and pressure for increased climate finance and action. She underlined the need for both financial resources and policy implementation to drive meaningful change and called for continued commitment from countries to fulfill their climate obligations. While challenges persist in securing adequate climate finance, Marie-Nelly remains hopeful that with collective effort and determination, the world can advance towards a more sustainable and resilient future.