Climate change
Climate change is the biggest environmental problem facing the
world.
Eskom has pro-actively finalised and implemented a climate
change strategy, notwithstanding the lack of a national target in
terms of climate change. Its intention is to reduce its relative CO2 footprint until 2025 and thereafter continually reduce absolute
emissions in support of national and global targets.
Eskom’s commitments to climate change will not be done
in isolation, but in conjunction with others – for example
collaboration with the South African government’s longterm
mitigation scenario process for identifying scenarios for
mitigation of climate change for South Africa and the global
policy work of bodies such as the World Business Council
for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World
Economic Forum (WEF). We also need to bear in mind that we will have to live with the negative impacts of climate
change no matter what action is taken to reduce emissions.
As such adaptation to these impacts is an important element
in our project design and investment decision making.
Government is preparing legislation around energy efficiency
relating to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and enabling
power rationing. I don’t think there is another place in the world
where an energy efficiency campaign is being implemented at the
pace at which it is happening in South Africa today.
My one major regret this past year has been the increase in the
number of employee and contractor fatalities. I do know that both
Eskom staff and our contractors are under tremendous pressure
to deliver new build projects and keep the existing plant in good
condition, but this is never an excuse for the loss of lives.
Acknowledgements
Let me take this opportunity to pay a special tribute to the
people of Eskom – the women and men of Eskom who take
to the trenches, ensuring that the lights in South Africa keep
burning. During my tenure as chairman of Eskom, I have
not received a single report of an Eskom employee who
has abandoned his/her post even at the height of the crisis.
Such loyalty, dedication and selfless contributions must be
commended.
Eskom is led by a top team with a long track record of
excellent service to this company and the country in
general. I would like to thank each of the people
who served in the Eskom leadership team personally:
Jacob Maroga, Bongani Nqwababa, Brian Dames, Erica Johnson,
Steve Lennon, Mpho Letlape, Mongezi Ntsokolo, Ayanda Noah,
Johnny Dladla and Ehud Matya.
I would also like to thank my fellow board members for their
counsel over the past three years and wish them well in providing
guidance and assurance to this important national asset. They
have spent an enormous amount of additional time in special
board meetings this year, to address the various challenges
and I thank them for their invaluable time. I would like to
make special mention of our international board members –
Brian Count, chairman of Progressive Energy, Lars Joseffson,
president and chief executive of Vattenfall, a Swedish power
company, and Mustafa Bello, executive secretary and chief
executive officer of the Nigerian Investment Promotion
Commission – for the international perspective they brought
into our deliberation in the board.
Finally, it is my sincere wish that South Africa as a nation will
also become an integral part of the solution to the challenges
at hand and will work with Eskom. Let us all conserve our vital
energy sources – the lifeblood of our economy.
Together, let’s build the power base for sustainable growth and
development.
Valli Mossa
Chairman |
