TOWARDS AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO A LOW-CARBON, CLIMATE-RESILIENT ECONOMY

The Illustrative People’s Energy Plan (IPEP), coordinated by WWF South Africa and modelled by the University of Cape Town, proposes an 'Ideal Energy Scenario' for South Africa to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. This scenario prioritises a rapid shift from fossil fuels to wind and solar PV, significant electrification of transport and industry, and expanded energy access for low-income households. The report argues that such a transition can nearly double employment by 2050 and maintain manageable costs through energy efficiency and localised clean energy manufacturing. It recommends that the government's official Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) be a transparent, living document that aligns fragmented policies and integrates social and environmental objectives as core planning outcomes.

• The 'Ideal Energy Scenario' aims for an economy-wide net zero target by 2050, with a cumulative greenhouse gas emissions limit of 8 Gt CO₂e between 2021 and 2050.
• The proposed transition involves a systemic overhaul of transport, targeting an 80% public transport share by 2050 and shifting freight from road to rail, which would result in fewer total vehicles on the road despite population growth.
• To address energy poverty, the plan suggests increasing the free basic electricity (FBE) allowance from 50kWh to approximately 200kWh per household and deploying 6.5 million solar water heaters for low-income homes.
• The modelling indicates that economy-wide employment could nearly double between 2025 and 2050, and that localising clean electricity supply chains (up to 85% local content for solar PV and battery storage) would increase jobs in the energy sector.
• The report argues against large-scale reliance on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), stating it is likely to remain costly and risks locking in emissions, though it remains a proxy for hard-to-abate sectors like cement and steel.
• The Ideal Energy Scenario's electricity system is dominated by wind and solar PV, with no new nuclear capacity; sensitivity analysis suggests nuclear would negatively impact economic growth due to high capital costs.

APA

WWF South Africa (n.d.). TOWARDS AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO A LOW-CARBON, CLIMATE-RESILIENT ECONOMY. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/the-illustrative-people_s-energy-plan_digital-summary.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. TOWARDS AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO A LOW-CARBON, CLIMATE-RESILIENT ECONOMY. n.d. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/the-illustrative-people_s-energy-plan_digital-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=TOWARDS AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO A LOW-CARBON, CLIMATE-RESILIENT ECONOMY |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/the-illustrative-people_s-energy-plan_digital-summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafricandtowards, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{TOWARDS AN EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO A LOW-CARBON, CLIMATE-RESILIENT ECONOMY}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/the-illustrative-people_s-energy-plan_digital-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }