The African Climate Alliance (ACA) says a shift in the source of energy production in South Africa from coal to renewable energy sources could make the economy more resilient and help create jobs.

The organisation joined various other activists outside Parliament yesterday, as part of a global day of climate change protests, who say countries that rely heavily on fossil fuels that generate high levels of carbon emissions for power, can reduce pollution by shifting to green energy – like solar power and wind.

ACA’s Youth Organiser Gabriel Klaasen has called on the government to accelerate the development of renewable energy resources.

Klaasen says, “The minds of our government keep focussing towards fossil fuels. Coal is the future they say, we are the capital of coal. Coal is not the future, renewables is the future and the sooner that we move toward a just transition, the better for people. A just transition being an equitable and sustainably developed plan to move away from fossil fuel powers toward renewable energy that doesn’t leave anyone behind.”