Germany, the United States, France and the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union, have signed a declaration to promote a partnership for a «just, ambitious and sustainable» energy transition in South Africa, which has also ratified the initiative, within the framework of the 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Egypt.
«Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, launched on November 7 during a summit of heads of state and government (at) COP27 a new investment plan for a just energy transition,» they explained in a joint communiqué.
The plan will provide funding in three areas in particular: energy, electric vehicles and green hydrogen. The total amount amounts to 98 billion dollars (97.7 million euros) over five years.
So far, the signatory countries have committed to $8.5 billion in the first phase of the program, which also includes grants, preferential loans and investment and risk-sharing instruments.
«I would like to congratulate President Ramaphosa on the progress made in the partnership for a just energy transition in South Africa. One year on from COP26, South Africa, the UK and our friends in the International Partners Group, have demonstrated our real desire to make transformations to end climate change,» said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
U.S. President Joe Biden, for his part, stressed that they support clean energy and infrastructure initiatives that will «provide the children and affected populations with the help they need» for such a transition.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has also spoken along the same lines, saying that it will make it possible to strengthen «the country’s energy security, green its energy mix and serve as a point of reference for the other countries of the world», in order to «leave no one behind».
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also welcomed the initiative, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed that it is «an ambitious start that will have to be followed by further efforts.»
