JOHANNESBURG - Serving on the B20 Energy Mix and Just Transition Task Force was a real eye-opener.
The energy challenges we face in South Africa aren’t unique; communities in South America and across the developing world are grappling with the same issues. It’s a global puzzle, and we’re all working to find solutions.
The Task Force process was truly eye-opening, offering valuable insight into how global policy documents are negotiated and produced.
The B20 Energy Mix and Just Transition Task Force bring together around 200 participants. The roles of the Chair, co-chairs, and knowledge partners are instrumental in aligning ideas and refining consensus-based policy recommendations.
The knowledge partners presented well-researched data on the state of the global energy mix and transition, key issues affecting the transition, and opportunities that may be leveraged in our discussions.
Task force members were allowed to make submissions based on the initial view and subsequent discussions during the task force meetings.
Notably, there was always an explanation why some of the members' suggestions didn’t make the cut: it wasn’t about ignoring people.
We knew we couldn’t toss around a hundred ideas; we needed a handful of strong, focused recommendations that could actually reach the G20. Maintaining a transparent audit trail was key to building genuine trust in the process.
First up was financing. While everyone talks about the trillions needed for a just energy transition, very little of that funding actually reaches Africa for the projects that matter most.
The problem isn’t a lack of money; it’s the way we assess risk. When a country has a weak sovereign credit rating, project financing becomes difficult, regardless of how strong the project is or whether the government guarantees payment.
We pushed for Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to get involved much earlier, to de-risk projects from the outset and help unlock private sector investment. There’s proof that many of these projects can be profitable; what’s needed are smarter, more innovative financing tools to move them into the pipeline and get them off the ground.
Our second recommendation focused on industrialisation, building the entire value chain here in Africa. We can’t remain just the world’s quarry or mine. Africa holds abundant critical minerals for batteries and solar panels, yet all the value, manufacturing and high-tech jobs end up in Europe or China.
Imagine producing our own solar panels and batteries. That’s how we create real jobs, build skills, and modernise our economies, instead of just exporting raw materials.
Third, we need a truly integrated power grid for Africa, like Europe’s. Sunshine and wind aren’t evenly spread, so if I generate solar power in the Northern Cape, I should be able to send it to Limpopo or even Botswana when needed.
A connected, mixed-energy grid makes the whole system more reliable and efficient, breaking down barriers that limit where we can build and share renewable energy.
Some might say, that’s all well and good; but what about the guy in Soweto trying to keep his spaza shop running? He doesn’t care about G20 recommendations; he needs electricity now. And they’re right.
But the benefits of this transition aren’t instant. The point is, by tackling big, systemic issues; finance, industrialisation, the grid, the energy mix; we’re laying the groundwork so that everyone, including that shop owner, can eventually access reliable, affordable power.
Maybe it’s cleaner energy or cheaper electricity, so he’s not limited to paraffin. It’s about building a future where the energy mix works for everyone, from the boardroom to the street corner.
- Abel Sakhau is the chief sustainability officer at Sanlam Corporate and a member of the B20 Energy Mix and Just Transition Taskforce (TF).