THE uncontrolled decline of coal production poses a greater immediate threat to global communities than climate change itself, according to July Ndlovu, the outgoing CEO of Thungela Resources.
He warned that poverty created by hasty energy transitions could have more devastating consequences than environmental concerns.
“An unmanaged decline in coal, driven by global politics but blind to local consequence, risks triggering economic and social dislocation on a massive scale,” said Ndlovu in a column for BusinessLive on Sunday.
“An unmanaged decline in coal, driven by global politics but blind to local consequence, risks triggering economic and social dislocation on a massive scale,” Ndlovu said.
The global energy transition presents a fundamental paradox: the world must decarbonise urgently whilst ensuring billions still lacking reliable, affordable energy are not left behind. This tension is particularly acute in the coal sector, which remains essential for energy access, industrial growth, and economic stability in many regions, despite mounting pressure to wind down operations, he said.
For over a decade, coal has faced opposing pressures – delivering affordable power whilst reducing emissions, facing criticism in global forums yet proving indispensable during national emergencies, said Ndlovu. The industry has generated crucial jobs, revenues, and development even as it confronts accelerating divestment and tightening regulation.
Ndlovu said effective leadership in this environment meant “embracing complexity, acknowledging environmental realities and defending the socioeconomic role coal continues to play.” This includes investing in environmental efficiency, methane abatement, dust suppression, water recycling, and land rehabilitation whilst building trust with communities, regulators, and financial markets.
He rejected “false binaries”– coal versus renewables, climate versus development, growth versus exit – describing these as oversimplifications of a far more complex challenge. Instead, he advocates for a transition that is “honest, inclusive and disciplined.”
Climate risk has moved firmly onto boardroom agendas, prompting companies to redefine performance metrics. ESG considerations, once peripheral, have become central to value assessment, said Ndlov. In mining communities like Mpumalanga, residents ask practical questions about post-mining economies and their children’s futures when operations cease.
A well-led transition could deliver energy stability, climate alignment, and inclusive growth if approached deliberately, transparently, and collaboratively – making leadership quality the determining factor in coal’s role in the global energy future, he said.
