What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

South Africa is on the path to decarbonization—doing away with burning coal and other fossil fuels and moving towards renewable, clean energy, such as solar and wind power. However, the coal industry employs 91,000 people. If these workers lost their jobs and were not transferred to new jobs in renewable energy and other sectors, this would devastate entire communities.

Recent estimates by the renewable energy industry say the shift from coal has the potential to create 250,000 jobs by 2047. Energy transition researcher Nthabiseng Mohlakoana was part of a group of Center for Sustainability Transitions academics who asked workers living near a coal mine and coal-fired power plant what they knew about the coal industry winding down and the renewable energy transition, and whether they thought it would provide decent jobs.

What is the biggest problem for coal industry workers in this transition?

Our study's aim was to draw attention to how decent work is understood by those who are working with fossil fuels in South Africa, and whose jobs will be phased out.

We interviewed 13 women and 38 men who were current and former coal mine workers and electricity power plant workers from KwaGuqa township. This is a low-income community in Emalahleni, a coal-intensive area in South Africa's Mpumalanga province that is home to 20 collieries. The group were working as coal cutters, machine operators, welders, electricians, boiler makers, underground water pumpers, drivers and coal conveyor belt operators. Some had worked for coal mines for between 10 and 30 years.

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