DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS AND ENERGY REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA WHITE PAPER ON RENEWABLE ENERGY November 2003 White Paper on Renewable Energy - i - November 2003 DEPUTY MINISTER’S FOREWORD I am confident that in this dynamic new era of the African Renaissance and in the spirit of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, hosted by South Africa (2002), we shall see Renewable Energy taking its rightful place in the South African Energy Sector and playing a significant role in contributing towards sustainable development. The repercussions of a growing local renewable energy industry will be felt throughout the African Continent and the SADC region with the breakdown of trade barriers and the move towards a common policy, a move that will encourage competition and lower costs. The world is facing the challenge of harnessing the earth’s resources effectively and efficiently. There is still a vast dependence on fossil fuels, and the use of this energy source is common to both developing an...