The United States THIS WEEK announced the termination of its membership of the Just Energy Transition Partnership - JETP - climate finance agreement with several developing countries, South Africa being one.  On Thursday, the Just Transition Project Management Unit in the Presidency issued a statement confirming the decision which also affects Indonesia and Vietnam. The US pullout means that associated financial pledges are also withdrawn and grant projects that were previously funded and in planning or implementation phases have been cancelled. The climate pact of which the US was part, is supposed to support South Africa transition from its current coal dominance to an energy system based increasingly on renewable energy. The US had planned to contribute about $1 billion in commercial loans to the deal, along with $56 million in grant funds. Energy experts say the electrification of South Africa's informal settlements which was part of an ambitious government plan for universal energy access by 2030 - will be among the first projects to be shelved.

To look at the impact and broader implications of the US withdrawal from the Just Energy Transition Partnership on South Africa's electricity needs Bongiwe Zwane spoke to  Prof. Mark Swilling from the Centre for Sustainability Transitions at Stellenbosch University and Khaya Sithole, an Economic Analyst