Transition to cleaner energy should not mean job losses, says Ramokgopa

CAPE TOWN - Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has said the transition to cleaner energy should not lead to job losses, and workers should be part of plans to transform their livelihoods.

The G20 energy transitions working group is wrapping up its second meeting in Cape Town on Friday, in preparation for an energy summit later this year on the just transition, particularly in Africa. 

Ramokgopa said this transition should not only be about decarbonising the global economy but also about development. 

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As the world commemorated May Day and workers' rights, Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa told the G20 gathering that reaching climate goals has to protect livelihoods, reskill workers and create new industries that produce quality jobs. 

"Workers must see themselves not as casualties of the transition but as co-authors of a new energy future. This is not just a matter of policy. It is a matter of principle," said Ramokgopa. 

As the continent with the youngest population, the greatest solar potential and the fastest growing demand for energy services, Ramokgopa said countries do not want to merely be recipients of investments, but also co-creators of solutions for a just energy transition. 

"As an African country, we also speak with the confidence of a continent that is not seeking charity, but partnership. We are not the last frontier for development. We are the next frontier of opportunity," he added. 

Ramokgopa also said that the energy transition must aid the industrialisation of countries and expand development, particularly in the global south.