South African Energy Minister Opposes Coal Ban for Climate Aid

  • Mantashe emphasizes the need for security of power supply
  • Country needs new coal technology, gas fields, minister says
Gwede Mantashe Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg
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Rich nations shouldn’t force South Africa to ban new coal-power projects and impose other conditions as a requirement for funding to help reduce its environmental footprint, the country’s energy minister said.

Gwede Mantashe last month skipped a meeting with climate envoys from the U.K., U.S., Germany, France and the European Union, where an initial amount of almost $5 billion in concessional loans and grants was discussed. South Africa’s environment and public enterprises ministers attended the talks, as did the deputy finance minister.