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The document analyzes South Africa's transition from a coal-dependent economy, highlighting the tension between transformative visions of social justice and narrower, market-based decarbonization efforts. It identifies significant challenges, including high regional economic dependence in Mpumalanga, a massive funding gap for the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET IP), and institutional failures such as state capture and fragmented governance. The report examines the divergent perspectives of trade unions, national and local governments, state-owned utility Eskom, and civil society, while emphasizing the need for procedural justice and bottom-up engagement to ensure the transition does not entrench existing inequalities.

The report finds that the DMRE has exhibited significant reluctance to lead South Africa's just energy transition (JET), often viewing it as a 'western imposition'. This resistance is rooted in the historical minerals-energy complex (MEC) and a desire to protect vested interests in the coal sector and black industrialist projects. The document highlights a lack of policy articulation, poor stakeholder engagement, and internal organizational incoherence caused by repeated mergers and splits. It recommends that the successor departments—Mineral and Petroleum Resources, and Electricity and Energy—improve transparency, update the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) regularly, and align the transition with the post-apartheid racial transformation agenda.

The petition argues that the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill (B13B – 2021) violates the South African Constitution and the One Environmental System (OES). It highlights the Bill's failure to provide adequate local economic development frameworks, its acceleration of fossil fuel extraction during a climate emergency, and its insufficient public participation and consultation processes. The petitioners urge the President to refer the Bill back to Parliament for redrafting to align with human rights and climate science.

The document examines the intersection of South Africa's energy transition and the interdependencies of water, energy, and food security. It identifies significant barriers to policy coherence, including institutional silos, budget cuts to environmental departments, and the political influence of the coal lobby and agricultural sector. The brief concludes that without an integrated framework, the transition risks perpetuating unsustainable coal practices and exacerbating social inequalities, particularly in coal-dependent regions like Mpumalanga.

The report examines the gendered impacts of climate change and environmental degradation in South Africa, focusing on air pollution, water access, agroecology, and energy poverty. Through case studies, it highlights how women-led initiatives—such as legal challenges against air pollution in the Highveld, agroecology gardens in Burundi, solar energy projects in Johannesburg, and waste management in Durban—address systemic inequalities and build community resilience. It argues that a Just Transition must integrate an intersectional gender perspective to be effective.

The report outlines a total potential market size of R468 billion by 2030 for large-scale renewable energy in South Africa, split between private procurement (R214 billion), public procurement (R212 billion), and local component manufacturing (R42 billion). Private procurement is growing rapidly due to the removal of generation licensing requirements and the demand for energy security amidst loadshedding. Public procurement is driven by the REIPPPP and municipal tenders, though it faces policy uncertainty and municipal financial strain. Local manufacturing is supported by the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) and trade agreements, but is hindered by low cost imports and grid constraints. Key systemic barriers include severe grid capacity constraints in high-yield areas and a critical shortage of technical skills for installation and commissioning.

The report examines the energy landscapes of seven southern African states, highlighting a stark divide between vast renewable energy potential and a continued reliance on fossil fuels or traditional biomass. While most surveyed countries have established renewable energy targets and some have liberalized their energy markets, the transition is often hindered by governance challenges, high rural-urban electricity gaps, and the pursuit of new oil and gas reserves. The document advocates for an 'energy justice' framework to ensure that the shift to low-carbon energy is inclusive, transparent, and protects the rights of marginalized communities and future generations.

The research paper defines a 'transition effective state' as one capable of identifying and solving community-priority problems through co-production—a collaborative process where affected citizens are active partners in policy design. Evaluating South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET), the authors find that current state capabilities are low because the government relies on 'tick-box' public participation and 'isomorphic mimicry' of international best practices rather than locally-driven solutions. Fieldwork in Mpumalanga reveals critical policy gaps, including the invisibility of the informal coal value-chain, the loss of community services provided by Eskom and mines, and water scarcity. The paper concludes that rigid budgeting and entrenched administrative habits hinder progress, recommending the development of detailed co-production guidelines and pilot projects focusing on water and community asset management.

The research paper assesses the capacity of the South African state to implement a just energy transition (JET), concluding that current state capacity is low due to a reliance on top-down, 'tick-box' public participation rather than genuine co-production. It defines a 'transition effective state' as one capable of identifying and solving community-priority problems through collaborative, context-specific processes. Fieldwork in Mpumalanga reveals that critical issues—such as the informal economy's dependence on coal, water rights, and the loss of corporate social investment services—remain invisible in national policies. The author recommends developing detailed guidelines for co-production and applying them to specific gaps in the JET framework to build legitimacy and ensure social equity.

The Air Aware campaign, led by Youth@SAIIA as part of the global Breathe Cities initiative, focuses on empowering youth aged 13–25 in South Africa to advocate for clean air. The program utilizes a structured journey including 'Train-the-Trainers' workshops, the appointment of Youth Air Champions (YACs) who implement community-specific campaigns, and engagement with policy frameworks like the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 2004. Key activities included mapping air pollution hotspots in Soweto, linking air quality to biodiversity in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, and digital campaigns connecting plastic waste to air pollution. The initiative aims to culminate in a Youth-Led Conference on Air Pollution Policy and Implementation to integrate youth lived experiences into the City of Johannesburg's air quality governance.

The WWF-Nedbank partnership Phase 3 (2019–2024), supported by a R25 million investment from Nedbank, implemented landscape-level conservation and sustainable agriculture projects across South Africa, with a primary focus on the Eastern Cape. Key achievements include the protection of 44 natural springs in the uMzimvubu Catchment, the securing of 15,850 hectares under Conservation Agreements for rangeland management, and the promotion of water-efficient irrigation in the dairy sector. The partnership also advanced agroecology to improve food security for smallholders and collaborated on sustainable finance frameworks, including the launch of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) in South Africa.

This Request for Proposal (RFP), issued by the GreenCape Sector Development Agency on 21 November 2023, seeks partners to provide renewable energy services to the Nomzamo Agricultural Village in Mpumalanga. The project aims to deliver sustainable energy to at least 300 households, establish an independent operations and maintenance (O&M) business, and create local jobs and skills.

The document examines the intersection of South Africa's renewable energy goals and indigenous land rights, focusing on the Boegoebaai site in the Northern Cape. It highlights how the failure to resolve historical land dispossessions and finalize restitution claims for the Richtersveld community risks further alienating indigenous populations during the energy transition. The brief advocates for moving beyond narrow definitions of 'justice'—which currently focus on employment and BBBEE—toward a framework that recognizes indigenous land sovereignty and implements inclusive partnership models.

Global Energy Monitor identifies nearly 2.7 million coal miners worldwide, with the majority in Asia. The report warns that 414,200 jobs could be lost by 2035 and 990,200 by 2050 due to the industry's own 'life of mine' closure schedules, regardless of climate policies. It highlights that current climate pledges cover only 6% of the thermal coal workforce, leaving millions vulnerable. The report emphasizes the need for just transition mechanisms, such as the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), and suggests bridging employment through mine reclamation and renewable energy repurposing.

The report examines South Africa's transition from a coal-dependent energy system to renewable sources, emphasizing the need for a 'just' transition that integrates decarbonization with social justice and industrialization. It analyzes the role of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), the challenges of the national grid, the financial vulnerabilities of municipalities, and the potential for domestic and international climate finance to support the transition.

The report analyzes South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) using a 'two-level game' framework to examine the interaction between international diplomacy and domestic politics. While the JETP provided a country-led platform to articulate financial needs and accelerated conversations on NDC implementation, it has faced significant hurdles. These include a lack of transparency from the International Partners Group (IPG), a contested domestic political landscape characterized by ministerial 'turf wars', and a financial package heavily weighted toward loans rather than grants. The study highlights that the JETP's success depends on South Africa's ability to build institutional capacity and deliver on implementation to maintain international credibility, while the IPG must provide more transparent and justice-oriented funding.

The document analyzes the organizational structure, funding, and implementation challenges of South Africa's JETP, highlighting the gap between policy targets and practical execution. It compares the energy landscapes of South Africa and Indonesia, emphasizing the critical need for transmission grid upgrades and the social protection of coal-dependent regions. Key recommendations for Indonesia include ensuring broad government consensus, translating commitments into legislation, and prioritizing social benefits to ensure a truly 'just' transition.

The document argues that while consumer-led battery deployment is rapid, grid-scale energy storage—particularly batteries—is a strategic priority that remains under-developed in South Africa. It details how storage can reduce load shedding, optimize existing grid infrastructure, and support a just energy transition by providing public benefits. The authors recommend the development of national and municipal strategies to create an enabling environment for grid battery deployment.

The author contends that while South Africa requires urgent energy stabilization, the proposed Karpowership deal is an exorbitant and risky option. The text highlights the need for grid reconfiguration to support renewable energy and suggests that short-term gas needs could be more cost-effectively met via Mozambique rather than a 20-year contract with a company accused of circumventing environmental regulations.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a legal argument to the High Court of South Africa stating that, as a registered and accredited law clinic that provides free legal services and does not handle client funds or property, it is legally entitled to litigate without a fidelity fund certificate or a trust account.