FacebookTwitterLinkedInCopy LinkEmailPrint
What is "Just Transition"?
Podcast/Case Study; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
Sep 2020

Just Transitions: Local Lessons and Global Insights from South Africa

This Energy 360 podcast on just transitions in South Africa provides local lessons and broader global insights from a country that has a long history of engaging with just transitions in the context of high levels of unemployment, inequality, poverty, and a high dependency on coal.

Geographic Scope
South Africa
Sectors
Energy
Mining
Water
Detail
Focus Areas
Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans
Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills
Government intervention > Public finance, Regulation
Inequality and/or poverty > Other
Investment > Private finance
Justice
Social and/or cultural impacts > Non-financial loss
Keywords
multilateral development banks
unemployment
coal sector
By
Michael Ward, Neha Sharma, Brenda Martin
Publishing Organization
Center for Strategic and International Studies, Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
Academic/research institution or journal, Development finance institution
Summary

This podcast provides an easily accessible overview of the implications of just transitions in South Africa’s energy transition. The interview format allows a range of issues to be covered drawing on many years of experience within the energy sector, as well as a recent case study on just transitions in South Africa.

Topics covered include the importance of just transitions in a country that has some of the highest levels of inequality, unemployment, and poverty in the world. South Africa is also dependent on coal for the vast majority of its energy, particularly electricity, despite a substantial renewable energy procurement program. It is in this context that issues of sustainable development, social dialogue, financing a just transition, social transformation, geographic disparities, and skills development are discussed.

Report/Case Study; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
Sep 2020

Supporting Just Transitions in South Africa: A Case Study

This case study explores key dimensions of just transitions and draws lessons from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF)’s contributions to the energy transition, the expansion of renewable energy, and the implications for workers and communities in South Africa.

Geographic Scope
South Africa
Sectors
Energy
Mining
Detail
Focus Areas
Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills
Government intervention > Regulation
Investment > Other
Justice
Keywords
multilateral development banks
political economy
distributional justice
procedural justice
recognition
conceptual framework
coronavirus
coal sector
project evaluation
concessional finance
By
Michael Ward, Neha Sharma, Hugh Searight
Publishing Organization
Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
Development finance institution
Summary

This case study explores key dimensions of just transition in South Africa, which has a long engagement with the concept and was one of the first countries to include an explicit reference to just transitions in its Nationally Determined Contribution. The case study reflects on the contributions of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), through its partner multilateral development banks, to the energy transition in South Africa.

The document uses the just transitions framework developed by the CIF and the Center for Strategic and International Studies to explore issues of social inclusion and distributional justice in South Africa’s energy transition. It provides a broader review of South Africa’s energy transition implications for national planning, and discusses social inclusion, financing, Covid-19 recovery programs, skills development and geographic disparities.