Centre for Environmental Rights – Advancing Environmental Rights in South Africa

As South Africa commemorates Youth Day and Youth Month under the theme “Skills for the Changing World – Empowering Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation,” the Life After Coal campaign proudly highlights the challenges facing young people who are poised to inherit a planet deeply affected by climate change.

The impacts of climate change, driven by mining and the burning of fossil fuels, undermine the youth’s ability to participate meaningfully in building a sustainable economy. These practices compromise health, pollute the environment, and worsen the delivery of essential public services, threatening the full enjoyment of human rights by young people and their communities.

In the spirit of Youth Day 2025, Life After Coal celebrates the landmark December 2024 High Court of South Africa judgment in the Cancel Coal case. This ruling protects the future of South Africa’s youth by declaring the government’s decision to procure 1,500 MW of new coal-fired power as unconstitutional and unlawful.

We call for the urgent empowerment of youth in the transition away from coal and other fossil fuels. A just transition must centre on social justice and the development of clean, inclusive, and renewable energy systems, ensuring a healthier and more equitable future for current and future generations. All decisions affecting our climate and economy must be rooted in intergenerational justice, with the interests of those yet to be born at their core.