Climate Committee Divided on Extending Life of South Africa's Coal Plants Amid Energy Crisis

South Africa's Presidential Climate Commission has suggested that the government could delay retiring its ageing coal-fired power plants to address electricity shortages and said a power crisis had put the country on track to meet its climate goals anyway. The country relies on coal for electricity and is the world's 14th biggest carbon emitter. South Africa's national target for emissions reductions is 398-510 MtCO2e by 2025, and 350-420 MtCO2e by 2030. The government is committed to a plan to accelerate a shift away from coal and towards solar and wind energy, partly funded by Western donors.