The French government is not deterred by the slow pace of the implementation of the Just Energy Transition in South Africa. France has committed to investing billions of rands towards the project.

The internal political pushback against South Africa's move towards clean energy sources is the main reason there has been scant progress in its implementation.

Senior French government officials and diplomats have said that they are aware of the challenges that could slow down the process. There is also an understanding that SA signed the agreement only two years ago at the COP26 forum, and many other decisions about the transition need to be made.

A French diplomat told Daily Maverick they are willing to provide any help the country needs to get the ball rolling and emphasised that countries like the Philippines have barely commenced with their just transition plans.

In November 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) at a special virtual meeting of the Presidential Climate Commission.

Under the partnership, the European Union, Germany, France, the UK and the US pledged $8.5-billion over three to five years to support South Africa's efforts to reduce its dependence on coal and implement a Just Energy Transition policy.

Daily Maverick understands that there still needs to be a conversation between the partners about targets and timelines for the roll-out of the transition. There is also...