Energy researcher urges SA to move away from coal and stop polluting the planet

95% of electricity in South Africa is generated by coal, which makes the country the biggest offender in carbon emissions.

South Africa is rated amongst the globe's biggest offenders when it comes to per capita carbon emissions.

This is because 95% of our electricity is generated by coal.

Hilton Trollip, an engineer and researcher at UCT's Energy Research Centre, says our government is using fears around coal sector job losses as an excuse to continue on what he calls "a doomed path".

Read: Tons of coal exported from SA not Eskom grade says expert

The first thing we have to do is have to look at the economic rationality of this.

Hilton Trollip, Engineer and researcher - UCT

The good news is that South Africa has the best renewable energy resources in the world, which is both wind and PV.

Hilton Trollip, Engineer and researcher - UCT

Research has shown that it is entirely economically and technologically feasible over the next 10 to 20 years to close down and phase out coal and replace this with renewable energy, which is a mixture of wind, renewables and gas, says Trollip.

By doing so, the country will be averting from catastrophic climate change, he says.

To hear the rest of the conversation about renewable energy, listen below:

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