South Africa’s Eskom aims to shift to mainly clean energy sources by 2040, the company said on Wednesday.

The state-owned power utility is currently operating with a predominantly coal-based generation fleet.

Eskom told South African lawmakers it planned to have 32 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2040, compared to less than 1 GW now.

In the same timeframe, the company wants its coal capacity to shrink from 39 GW to 18 GW.

Eskom generates about 95% of electricity used in South Africa, and is the biggest producer of power on the continent, according to the United States International Trade Administration

But the company has also been criticised for its contribution to air pollution.

In 2021, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) think tank named Eskom the world’s largest emitter of sulfur dioxide (SO2), a toxic gas for humans.

Eskom emits more SO2 than the entire power sector of the European Union and the US combined, CREA’s assessment found.

The South African company told lawmakers that its R400 billion ($22.31 billion) debt burden slowed its investment in renewable energy.

Eskom has been in a unstable financial situation for several years. The firm reported a R55 billion after-tax loss for the 2024 financial year.

To shift towards a greener production, Eskom said it will “repower” older coal-fired power stations slated for closure with newer technologies.

The firm will also have its own renewable energy business unit to implement new projects and partner with private companies.

France’s prime minister proposed on Tuesday to cut two public holidays from the country’s calendar, in an effort to save money in next year’s budget. 

François Bayrou targeted Easter Monday which he said has “no religious meaning”, and 8 May, the day marking the Allied victory over the Nazis in World War II. 

“The entire nation needs to work more to produce and for the country’s overall activity to be more significant throughout the year, so that France’s situation improves”, Bayrou said in an address to lawmakers.

Bayrou’s proposal is among a raft of spending cuts laid out in a sweeping, and potentially doomed, budget plan.

He argued that removing two state holidays would bring in tax revenues generated from economic activity, contributing to around €44 billion euros in overall savings.

“It means working more to earn less. It means asking us to work for free. When are we going to talk about dividends [for shareholders]?”, said Sophie Binet, the secretary-general of the General Confederation Labour union, on TV channel France 2.

France currently has 11 public holidays per year, slightly below the European Union average of 12,07.

Bayrou’s proposal also drew criticism from opposition parties. 

“Bayrou declares a social war”, said Mathilde Panot, the president of the leftist La France Insoumise group at the National Assembly, in a press conference.

“The abolition of two public holidays, as meaningful as Easter Monday and 8 May, is a direct attack on our history, our roots, and the working France”, said far-right National Rally president Jordan Bardella on X.

President Emmanuel Macron tasked Bayrou with crafting a budget that shaves costs to bring down France’s staggering debt and deficit, while also adding billions in new defence spending to face what Macron says are resurgent threats from Russia and beyond.

Among other spending cuts on Tuesday, Bayrou said that a third of civil servants would not be replaced when they retired. He also said France would scale back its subsidies for prescription medicine.

The CGT called for demonstrations in autumn to protest the measures.

With no parliamentary majority, Macron’s centrist grouping must win support from adversaries on the left and right to pass the budget this fall.

Bayrou’s job is precarious, and he could be voted out if he fails to reach compromise on the budget.

Gabon has been restored to full membership of the Commonwealth following the country’s recent presidential election.  

The association made the announcement on Tuesday, following a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.  

Gabon was partially suspended from the 56-nation group in September 2023, a month after the elected government of Ali Bongo Ondimba was ousted in a coup.  

In April this year, coup leader Brice Oligui Nguema won the presidential election with almost 95 percent of the vote.  

The Commonwealth ruled the poll was credible, transparent and inclusive and decided to lift Gabon’s partial suspension.  

The CMAG welcomed Gabon’s return to constitutional democracy and reiterated its  condemnation of any unconstitutional overthrow of a duly elected government, stressing that “such action violates the democratic principles at the heart of the Commonwealth and is a serious breach of the Commonwealth Charter.”

It said Gabon would remain on the group’s agenda as it works towards fulfilling its obligations under the Commonwealth Charter.  

Rooted in the British Empire, the Commonwealth is now open to all countries. Togo and Gabon are the newest members, both joining in 2022.