{"id":60473,"date":"2026-04-22T10:51:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T10:51:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/?p=60473"},"modified":"2026-04-22T10:52:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T10:52:43","slug":"new-report-exposes-deadly-cost-of-delaying-coal-phase-out-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/press\/60473\/new-report-exposes-deadly-cost-of-delaying-coal-phase-out-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"New report exposes deadly cost of delaying coal phase-out in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Delaying South Africa’s Coal Phase-Out \u201cWill Cause 32,000 Preventable Deaths\u201d.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Middelburg, South Africa – <\/strong>A new report released today by Greenpeace Africa, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), and GroundWork reveals that delaying the phase-out of coal-fired power in South Africa will result in devastating health and economic consequences.<\/p>\n\n

Titled Unmasked: The Health and Economic Cost of Delaying Coal Phase-Out in South Africa<\/em>, the report finds that keeping these plants open beyond their planned retirement dates will cause an estimated 32,000 additional premature deaths between 2026 and 2050. The health burden extends heavily to children. The delay will result in 41,000 additional preterm births and 17,000 new cases of childhood asthma.<\/p>\n\n

The economic toll of these health impacts is staggering. The report calculates the cost to the South African economy at ZAR 721 billion (USD 38 billion). This includes lost working days and overwhelming pressure on the public healthcare system.<\/p>\n\n

The report highlights a critical geographic disparity. Gauteng is projected to absorb the largest share of additional deaths, with over 15,000 fatalities. The province has no Eskom coal power stations. The transboundary pollution originates in Mpumalanga and settles over Johannesburg and Pretoria.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cFor too long, communities living in the shadow of coal have carried the cost with their health, their livelihoods, and their lives. The smoke in their lungs. The dust on their children’s chests. It\u2019s an unacceptable price to pay to keep the lights on for the rest of the country when solutions exist. This report makes that cost impossible to ignore. It is a call for accountability and for urgent action to protect people, not polluters,\u201d said Dr Oulie Keita, Executive Director of Greenpeace Africa.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Dr Keita emphasised that the energy crisis does not justify the health crisis. South Africa has more than 220 GW of renewable energy projects in the pipeline, demonstrating that continued dependence on coal is a policy choice rather than a technical necessity.<\/p>\n\n

Cynthia Moyo, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa<\/strong>, said: \u201cThis report makes it clear that there is no safe or responsible way to extend the life of coal. South Africa has more than enough wind, solar, and storage capacity to replace every coal plant currently on life support. Keeping these polluting plants open is a deliberate political choice that sacrifices human lives. We demand the government accelerate the coal phase-out immediately and implement a just transition to renewable energy that protects workers and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Daniel Nesan, Analyst at CREA<\/strong>, said: \u201cOur analysis shows that the health impacts of coal pollution are severe, widespread, and entirely preventable. South Africa has the means to transition to clean energy. The cost of inaction will be measured in lives lost and communities harmed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Thomas Mnguni, spokesperson at GroundWork,<\/strong> said: \u201cCommunities on the frontlines of coal pollution have been raising the alarm for years. This report validates their lived experience. The right to clean air is a constitutional right, and it is being violated every day that coal plants continue to operate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Key Findings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n