Sustainable Energy Solutions for South Africa: Ensuring Public Participation and Improved Accountability in Policy Processes

This report summarizes a two-day meeting hosted by the Institute for Security Studies' Corruption and Governance Programme in September 2010, which brought together the South African Civil Society Energy Caucus to discuss governance, public participation, and accountability in South Africa's energy policy processes.

• In 2010, the South African government initiated several critical energy policy processes, including the second Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2), the Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff, the Integrated Energy Plan, and the Climate Change Response Policy. The IRP2 is particularly significant as it determines electricity planning for the subsequent 20 years, potentially locking the country into specific technology choices.
• South Africa continues to face the legacy of the 'minerals–energy complex,' a period where energy policy was captured by narrow interests. This history informs current concerns regarding Eskom’s Capital Expansion Programme, which was created following the 2008 electricity crisis and relies heavily on the construction of nuclear and coal power stations.
• The South African Civil Society Energy Caucus emphasizes that reducing corruption and fostering broad-based participation and accountability in policy processes are essential requirements for adequately addressing climate change and energy poverty.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Sustainable Energy Solutions for South Africa: Ensuring Public Participation and Improved Accountability in Policy Processes. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/conference-reports/sustainable-energy-solutions-for-south-africa-ensuring-public-participation-and-improved-accountability-in-policy-processes

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Sustainable Energy Solutions for South Africa: Ensuring Public Participation and Improved Accountability in Policy Processes. n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/conference-reports/sustainable-energy-solutions-for-south-africa-ensuring-public-participation-and-improved-accountability-in-policy-processes.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Sustainable Energy Solutions for South Africa: Ensuring Public Participation and Improved Accountability in Policy Processes |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/conference-reports/sustainable-energy-solutions-for-south-africa-ensuring-public-participation-and-improved-accountability-in-policy-processes |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndsustainable, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Sustainable Energy Solutions for South Africa: Ensuring Public Participation and Improved Accountability in Policy Processes}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/conference-reports/sustainable-energy-solutions-for-south-africa-ensuring-public-participation-and-improved-accountability-in-policy-processes}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }