SOUTH AFRICA GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2018

The South Africa Green Economy Barometer 2018 evaluates the country's transition toward a fair, green economy, awarding it a score of 5 out of 10. While South Africa possesses strong policy foundations, such as the National Development Plan and the 2011 Green Economy Accord, the report finds that the economy remains locked into carbon-intensive 'brown' systems, particularly in energy and mining, and fails to adequately include marginalized populations and the informal sector in its transition.

• South Africa's energy sector is heavily dependent on fossil fuels, with approximately 90% of electricity generated from coal-fired power plants. While the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) attracted over ZAR 200 billion in investment between 2011 and 2017, progress has stalled due to a gridlock involving the national utility Eskom and independent power producers.
• The country faces severe socio-economic challenges, including extreme inequality and high unemployment. The official unemployment rate was 26.7% in the first quarter of 2018, rising to 39.2% when discouraged jobseekers are included, and reaching 52.4% for youth aged 15 to 24.
• Environmental degradation continues despite an increase in protected areas. South Africa's ecological footprint exceeds its biocapacity per capita, and 21 terrestrial ecosystems (5%) are classified as critically endangered, while 58 (13%) are endangered and 70 (16%) are vulnerable.
• The transition to a green economy has lacked inclusivity, particularly for the informal sector and marginalized people. The 2011 Green Economy Accord, which aimed to create 300,000 additional jobs by 2020, is described as having been more of a public relations exercise than a functional social compact.
• Progress in greening other economic sectors is mixed. In agriculture, sustainable and organic farming practices are expanding, though water efficiency remains a challenge as the sector consumes over two-thirds of the country's water. In transport, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have been rolled out in hubs like Johannesburg and Cape Town, but have not achieved expected success as commuters prefer minibus taxis.
• South Africa has pioneered sustainable finance innovations, including green bonds issued by the City of Johannesburg (ZAR 1.5 billion in 2014) and the City of Cape Town (ZAR 4.3 billion in 2017). However, substantial financial support for fossil fuel development persists.
• While the government has adopted the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) and aligned the National Development Plan (NDP) with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the NDP is criticized for failing to fully integrate the sustainability transition and address inevitable trade-offs.

APA

Amis, ,. A., Montmasson-Clair, ,. G., Lugogo, ,. S., & Benson, ,. E. (2018). SOUTH AFRICA GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2018. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Barometers-2018/South-Africa-Green-Economy-Barometer-2018-Final-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Amis, , AM., , G. Montmasson-Clair, , S. Lugogo, and , E. Benson. SOUTH AFRICA GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2018. Green Economy Coalition, 2018. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Barometers-2018/South-Africa-Green-Economy-Barometer-2018-Final-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Amis |first1=, AM. |last2=Montmasson-Clair |first2=, G. |last3=Lugogo |first3=, S. |last4=Benson |first4=, E. |title=SOUTH AFRICA GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2018 |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=2018 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Barometers-2018/South-Africa-Green-Economy-Barometer-2018-Final-WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{amis2018south, author = {Amis, , AM. and Montmasson-Clair, , G. and Lugogo, , S. and Benson, , E.}, title = {{SOUTH AFRICA GREEN ECONOMY BAROMETER 2018}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2018}, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/Barometers-2018/South-Africa-Green-Economy-Barometer-2018-Final-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }