United States withdraws from energy partnership with South Africa

The South African government has confirmed the withdrawal of the United States from the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a programme launched at COP26 in 2021 to support the gradual phase-out of coal in South Africa. This decision reduces the project's international financial commitments from $13.8 billion to $12.8 billion.

Initially backed by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, the JETP aimed to help South Africa - where coal accounts for 80% of electricity production - meet its climate targets while ensuring a fair transition for workers in the sector. However, the American contribution was mainly limited to potential commercial investments, unlike the loans or direct aid proposed by other partners, such as the 700 million euros already paid by France.

This withdrawal could complicate South Africa's efforts to diversify its energy sources, at a time when the country remains one of the world's 12 biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. The Minister for Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, nevertheless stated that this loss would not compromise the energy transition. "We will mobilise resources via the private sector and other international institutions", he said.

Faced with major structural challenges, South Africa must combine reducing emissions, creating jobs in renewable energies and preserving livelihoods linked to coal. While JETP remains a cornerstone of this strategy, the United States' withdrawal from the scheme highlights the uncertainties hanging over international climate financing, at a time when pressure to act is mounting in the face of the climate crisis.