Green Decent Work Agenda, Social Protection and Land Reform: The Bedrock of Climate Crisis Transformative Resilience

The authors argue that South Africa's vulnerability to climate change is rooted in its political economy, specifically the fossil-fuel-dependent 'minerals-energy complex' (MEC). To move beyond simple coping strategies toward 'transformative resilience,' the paper outlines three pillars: a Green Decent Work Agenda (GDWA) to create sustainable livelihoods, social protection (specifically a universal basic income guarantee) to provide safety nets, and radical, state-led land reform to reduce exposure to risk and enhance adaptive capacity.

• South Africa's vulnerability to climate change and the risks of transitioning from fossil fuels are driven by its political economy, specifically the 'minerals-energy complex' (MEC). This system is characterized by a fossil-fuel-dependent structure of capitalist accumulation that prioritizes capital-intensive upstream sectors over labour-intensive activities, leading to structural unemployment and impoverishment.
• The MEC has created significant spatial inequalities and environmental degradation. Industrial activity is concentrated in Johannesburg and Tshwane due to mineral endowments, while urban sprawl and unequal public service distribution have increased greenhouse gas emissions from transport. In rural areas, land ownership remains highly unequal and racist, depriving Black people and Black women of security.
• A Green Decent Work Agenda (GDWA) is proposed to build resilience by creating sustainable livelihoods in climate-mitigating and adaptation sectors. This requires a three-pronged policy approach: green macroeconomic policy to expand demand for socio-ecologically useful goods, green industrial policy to restructure the MEC away from fossil fuels, and green labour market policies to support worker well-being and skills training.
• The authors suggest a job guarantee as a public employment scheme to minimize the exposure of impoverished workers to transition risks. By acting as the employer of last resort, the state can smooth income fluctuations and provide employment in the construction and maintenance of public goods that increase resilience.
• Social protection is identified as a critical tool for building absorptive, anticipatory, and adaptive capacities in vulnerable communities. The authors specifically advocate for a universal basic income guarantee (Ubig) that provides a minimum cash income to all citizens, which would be more substantial than current social grants and better address inequality, unemployment, and poverty.
• Radical, state-led redistributive land reform is presented as the third pillar of resilience. The authors argue that market-based mechanisms have been ineffective and that a pro-poor agenda is needed to prioritize land for farmworkers, labour tenants, and landless people. Secure land access allows for the introduction of climate-adaptation measures and protects residents from eviction during disasters.

APA

Baloyi, B., Lehmann-Grube, K., Radebe, H., & Upadhyaya, P. (2022). Green Decent Work Agenda, Social Protection and Land Reform: The Bedrock of Climate Crisis Transformative Resilience. Institute for Economic Justice. https://iej.org.za/press-room/in-the-media/green-decent-work-agenda-social-protection-and-land-reform-the-bedrock-of-climate-crisis-transformative-resilience/

Chicago

Baloyi, Basani, Katrina Lehmann-Grube, Hlengiwe Radebe, and Prabhat Upadhyaya. Green Decent Work Agenda, Social Protection and Land Reform: The Bedrock of Climate Crisis Transformative Resilience. Institute for Economic Justice, 2022. https://iej.org.za/press-room/in-the-media/green-decent-work-agenda-social-protection-and-land-reform-the-bedrock-of-climate-crisis-transformative-resilience/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Baloyi |first1=Basani |last2=Lehmann-Grube |first2=Katrina |last3=Radebe |first3=Hlengiwe |last4=Upadhyaya |first4=Prabhat |title=Green Decent Work Agenda, Social Protection and Land Reform: The Bedrock of Climate Crisis Transformative Resilience |publisher=Institute for Economic Justice |date=3 May 2022 |url=https://iej.org.za/press-room/in-the-media/green-decent-work-agenda-social-protection-and-land-reform-the-bedrock-of-climate-crisis-transformative-resilience/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{baloyi2022green, author = {Baloyi, Basani and Lehmann-Grube, Katrina and Radebe, Hlengiwe and Upadhyaya, Prabhat}, title = {{Green Decent Work Agenda, Social Protection and Land Reform: The Bedrock of Climate Crisis Transformative Resilience}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://iej.org.za/press-room/in-the-media/green-decent-work-agenda-social-protection-and-land-reform-the-bedrock-of-climate-crisis-transformative-resilience/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }