COP27 needs 'sufficient transparency' on socio-economic effects: climate lawyer

Clarence Ford spoke to climate advocacy lawyer Brandon Abdinor.

As South Africa, along with the rest of the world, urgently aims to push towards energy transition and decarbonisation – climate advocacy lawyer Brandon Abdinor said the process needs more consultative communication.

South Africa wants to move away from coal-fired power stations to renewable energy to reduce the severity of climate change.

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP 27 saw the welcome of the approval of South Africa's Just Energy transition plan, a R1.5 trillion investment proposal, by the International Partners Group (IPG) of five nations.

This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa plea at the COP 27 conference in Egypt for higher-scale funding and technological support for South Africa.

Abdinor said an important discussion that is parallel to the move away from fossil fuels, besides the financial aspect, is the socioeconomic impact of the transition.

He argued inadequate transparency and timing of the Just Energy Transition approval left little room for adequate consultation from civil society.

Climate finance has been written in a similar fashion to business finances, with issues such as the transfer of land to private hands and energy poverty left on the back foot of these discussions, said Abdinor.

Those terms and conditions need to be looked at in conventional terms, he added.

Africa is reportedly under significant pressure from the international community to decarbonise at pace even though it accounts for less than 6% of global energy consumption and is responsible for only 2% of global emissions.

The Center For Environmental Rights lawyer said reparations need to be made for the damage that ensued as a result of the global north's influence on the global south.