Ambassador of Germany to South Africa, Andreas Peschke

South Africa has everything it needs to make a success of the transition away from a fossil fuel-driven economy to a sustainable one, said German Ambassador to South Africa Andreas Peschke.

South Africa is one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, because of its reliance on fossil fuel for more than 90% of its electricity.

Germany, along with France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union secured a historic $8.5-billion (R131-billion) climate finance deal with South Africa at this year’s United Nations climate change talks in Glasgow.

South Africa’s abundant renewable energy resources, excellent scientific and technical know-how, and active private sector mean the country is perfectly placed to take full advantage of the economic opportunities embedded in the transition to a sustainable economy, Peschke said.

“This is a great economic opportunity that could strengthen South Africa’s market position,” he said.

Germany faces similar challenges to those faced by South Africa in its transition to a low-carbon economy, Peschke said. This means there is “lots of space” for enhanced cooperation and mutual learning between the countries.

Peschke said the German Embassy was impressed that more than 100 organisations had entered the Climate 360 competition, aimed at showcasing innovative South African solutions to the challenge of climate change.

Climate change is a complex challenge, which is why there are five categories in the competition, he said.

These awards show that thinking about climate change is not only something that governments do, Peschke said. “It needs to be an across-the-board effort.”

The winners will travel to Brussels, Belgium, for a tour of the European Union headquarters and surrounds, as well Paris (France holds the Council of the EU presidency from January to June 2022), for a visit to the International Energy Agency. They will meet decision-makers and learn more about climate change projects in Europe.