We have expanded the list of climate policies we assess company engagement with to incorporate land-use related policy, referring to legislative or regulatory measures to enhance and protect ecosystems and land where carbon is being stored. Assessments under this category are currently underweighted in terms of their contribution to the overall company metrics. This weighting will be progressively increased over the next 6 months.
We adjusted the terminology used to describe the queries running down the left-hand side of our scoring matrix and added additional explanatory text to the info-boxes. This has no impact on the scores and methodology. It has been done following user feedback to improve clarity.
Climate Lobbying Overview: The South Africa Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) is actively and positively engaged on climate policy. SAWEA advocates strongly for progressive wind energy regulation. The association also supports the transition from coal to renewables in South Africa, however it also appears to support the role of gas as a transitional fuel.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: SAWEA has communicated positive top-line messaging on climate policy. In two corporate press releases published in February and May 2021, the association supported net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions by 2050. In a January 2022 press release, SAWEA also supported the goals of the Paris Agreement, and Ntuli appeared to support South Africa's Nationally Determined Contribution goals in a June 2021 press release. The association has also expressed top-line support for climate regulations. In a July 2021 open letter from the Global Wind Energy Council, former SAWEA CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli advocated for “decisive and urgent policy change” from G20 countries in response to climate change, including “effective and credible carbon pricing”. In an April 2021 opinion piece in Engineering News, Ntuli also appeared to support the easing of the regulatory environment in South Africa to allow for energy planning policy.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: SAWEA’s engagement with climate policy is limited to renewable energy legislation, albeit its communications appear consistently positive. In a July 2022 press release, CEO Nivenshen Govender supported South Africa’s ‘energy action plan’ and its provisions for increasing the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) allocation for Bid Window Six to 5200MW of renewable energy. In a February 2022 press release, SAWEA supported the drafting of regulations by governments to increase renewable energy deployment in South Africa. In May 2020, SAWEA submitted comments to a consultation by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on the Ministerial Determination of the Procurement of New Generation Capacity from Renewables. In its comments, the association supported an increase in targets for renewable energy procurement from independent power producers. The association also communicated support for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment to the country’s REIPPPP in a February 2021 press release.
Positioning on the Energy Transition: SAWEA strongly advocates in favor of the transition to renewable energy, particularly wind energy, and supports the phase-out of coal. In a July 2022 press release, CEO Nivenshen Govender supported South Africa’s ‘energy action plan’, specifically supporting the lifting of the 100MW cap on embedded generation projects which will allow for the accelerated integration of renewable energy into the energy mix. In a comment submitted to NERSA in May 2020, SAWEA supported the phase-out of coal, and stated that it is “impossible” to finance any new coal generation in South Africa. In a March 2021 press release, SAWEA also appeared to support the progression of the South African Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), which allows wind and solar power to play a role in dispatchable power. Furthermore, in a January 2022 press release, the association supported increased deployment of wind energy in South Africa beyond the aims of South Africa’s Integrated Resources Plan 2019. Former SAWEA CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli supported coal phase-out in an April 2021 press release, and in a July 2021 open letter from the Global Wind Energy Council. Despite this, in a comment submitted to NERSA in May 2020, SAWEA appeared to support the integration of fossil gas into the South African energy mix to facilitate the transition from coal to renewables.