Exploring the perception and attitude of senior management of coal mines in South Africa towards just transition : a case study of Seriti, Thungela and Exxaro resources

Abstract

Over the years climate change has been receiving attention. The impact of global warming can be witnessed through climate change where seas are rising, abnormal temperatures, and unpredictable environmental disasters such as Mozambique’s Cyclone Idai and monsoon flooding in India to Australia’s wildfires. Furthermore, the shift in human activities is amongst the main contributors to the increase in carbon emissions, including the burning of coal during power generation which releases carbon emissions and is identified as the main cause of climate change. To mitigate this risk, just energy transition from the use of fossil fuel energy generation to renewable energy generation was identified as the solution, especially in an economy that is dependent on coal like South Africa. The study aimed to assess the perception, attitude, and readiness of senior coal mine managers toward just energy transition. The research questions explored the readiness, attitudes, and perceptions of senior coal mine managers toward just energy transition using socio-technical as a framework. A qualitative research method that encompasses research interviews with senior coal mining managers. the collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Deductions made from the analysis indicate that just transition in coal mining is not a linear process, it is filled with barriers and challenges. Furthermore, coal mining is not ready to transition using renewable energy instead of coal. A study recommends a phase-in approach to continue mining coal and introduce just energy transition to mitigate the risk of load shedding.