Johannesburg, Jul 15 (IANS): South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Monday that the country will decarbonise at a pace and scale that is affordable to its economy as its carbon-intensity economy is unsustainable.

"Just as it is the countries of the Global South that feel the effects of climate change most, despite being least responsible historically for global emissions, it is critical that we strengthen systems for adaptation and mitigation, build resilience in communities and accelerate our decarbonisation efforts and the pace of the just energy transition," Ramaphosa said while addressing the Climate Resilience Symposium in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital.

The symposium was organized by South Africa's National Treasury, the Presidential Climate Commission, and other partners, reports Xinhua news agency.

"For decades our reliance on coal was a competitive advantage because it allowed us to produce electricity cheaply. However, our emissions-intensive energy system is likely to increasingly undermine our competitiveness in global markets," he said.

South Africa must embrace a managed transition to a low-carbon economy as it is facing a climate emergency, according to the president.

"If we act too fast, we risk damaging huge sections of our economy before we have built alternative energy and industrial capabilities. At the same time, not acting now risks our economic stability," he said.

Ramaphosa added that South Africa aims to meet the net-zero emissions by 2050.