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The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) contends that the National Treasury's focus on debt stabilisation through budget cuts and a proposed binding fiscal rule will hinder South Africa's goal of 3% GDP growth by 2027. The IEJ asserts that fiscal rules lack a proven causal relationship with debt outcomes and that economic growth is a more effective tool for improving debt dynamics. To achieve a sustainable fiscal path, the IEJ recommends maintaining social wage expenditure, increasing revenue by cutting tax rebates for high-income earners, and prioritising state-led investment in social and economic infrastructure.

The analysis finds that investing in nature-based infrastructure (NBI) in Drakenstein, South Africa, can reduce flood damages by up to USD 36 million against costs of USD 8.65 million over 25 years. The study indicates a benefit-cost ratio of up to 5:1 (ZAR 5 return for every ZAR 1 invested), with net benefits reaching ZAR 600 million (USD 34.2 million). These benefits include avoided flood damages, job creation, and improved mental health, with NBI proving most valuable in climate scenarios characterized by frequent and intense floods.

Natural Justice critiques proposed amendments to South Africa's EIA Regulations, warning that reducing 'red tape' for seismic surveys, mining expansions, and fracturing could lead to long-term ecological and social harm. The organization advocates for maintaining full EIAs for high-impact activities and strengthening public participation to ensure a just energy transition.

Natural Justice argues that South Africa's proposed 2024 EIA regulation amendments must ensure full environmental impact assessments for high-impact activities, including hydraulic fracturing, seismic surveys, and coastal industrial construction, to protect ecological integrity and community livelihoods.

The paper examines the impact of colonial legacies and rapid urbanisation on African transportation, highlighting the contrast between South Africa's high-cost Gautrain and more inclusive BRT systems like Rea Vaya and MyCiTi. It identifies the dominance of informal paratransit, such as minibuses, as a critical gap in regulation and safety, noting high road fatality rates in Sub-Saharan Africa and Addis Ababa. The author advocates for a holistic approach combining infrastructure, travel subsidies, and the integration of informal networks, while cautioning against unchecked car ownership and conditional foreign aid.

The briefing argues that South Africa's economic growth is contingent upon strengthening political institutions, professionalising the public service, and enhancing electoral accountability. It calls for a cohesive foreign policy to restore regional leadership within SADC and the AfCFTA, a decisive plan to combat corruption and gender-based violence, and the effective operationalisation of the Climate Change Act through local government reform and private-public partnerships.

The document outlines strategies for public development banks (PDBs) to enhance climate finance, focusing on Paris alignment, public-public collaborations, and private capital mobilization. It emphasizes the need for a bottom-up approach to ensure national ownership and the use of de-risking tools like guarantees to close investment gaps in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). Key recommendations include improving transparency in alignment assessments, expanding concessional funding for national development banks (NDBs), and supporting just energy transitions through the early retirement of coal plants.

The report argues that South Africa's economic growth is contingent upon strengthening political institutions and accountability. It recommends a ten-point plan focusing on electoral reform, the professionalization of the public service, and the governance redesign of state-owned enterprises like Eskom and Transnet. Regionally, it urges a more proactive role in SADC to defend electoral integrity and improve security mechanisms. On climate, it advocates for the operationalization of the Climate Change Act and a just energy transition through public-private partnerships.

The research paper advocates for South Africa to move away from a market-led 'blended finance model' (BFM) for its just energy transition, arguing that market failures necessitate a state-led approach. The author proposes a 'climate response fund' to be financed by a combination of carbon tax increases, earmarking the General Fuel Levy and Mineral and Petroleum Resource Royalty, and implementing public sector efficiency reforms and retirement tax deduction caps. Together, these measures could generate over R100 billion annually for adaptation and equity. The paper also suggests the issuance of sovereign green bonds to fund renewable energy grid infrastructure, arguing for a gentler fiscal deficit glide path to accommodate this strategic investment.

The research paper assesses the capacity of public DFIs and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to mobilise climate finance, focusing on a case study of South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). It argues that the IDC's current self-financing model and commercial risk appetite hinder its ability to provide the 'patient capital' necessary for a just transition. The authors propose recapitalising the IDC through fiscal and monetary instruments, scaling concessional lending, and democratising its governance to better align with green industrialisation and worker-centric goals.

The document examines the role of DFIs in climate finance, specifically focusing on the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in South Africa. It argues that the IDC is currently unable to meet its mandate of supporting a just transition because it operates like a commercial bank, relying on capital markets and maintaining a risk-averse, private-sector-biased governance structure. The authors recommend a significant recapitalisation of the IDC through fiscal and monetary policy, a shift toward concessional lending with longer grace periods, and a reform of its board to include broader representation from civil society and workers.

The policy brief contends that South Africa must move beyond the blended finance model for its just energy transition due to market failures and risks of insufficient or unpredictable private capital. It proposes a suite of domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) measures—including sovereign green bonds, carbon tax reforms, and earmarking existing revenues—to generate approximately R100bn annually for climate priorities. These funds would be pooled into a central climate response fund dedicated to adaptation, equity, and supporting displaced workers, particularly in Mpumalanga. The author argues that this assertive domestic commitment is essential for maintaining state control over infrastructure and for unlocking larger-scale international finance between 2030 and 2050.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) advocates for increased finance from international financial institutions, multilateral development banks, and the G20 to support a green, inclusive, and just transition. The IEJ emphasizes the need for nationally-owned development strategies where the state leads investment, leveraging central banks and development finance institutions to encourage private capital. In South Africa, the IEJ has specifically critiqued the lack of transparency in IFI loan agreements, calling for parliamentary oversight to protect national sovereignty and human rights. Regarding climate finance, the IEJ argues that South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) should utilize risk-sharing arrangements in public-private partnerships that do not prioritize private profits over public goods. Additionally, the IEJ advocates for a human-rights-based approach to debt restructuring in the Global South, proposing that loans be provided on concessional terms with below-market-rate interest and long grace periods.

The document argues that environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS) exceed USD 2 trillion annually, creating perverse incentives that drive biodiversity loss and climate change. It proposes a theory of change based on the 'Multiple Streams and Policy Windows Framework'—defining the problem, identifying solutions, and creating political support—to catalyze reform. The playbook outlines 25 specific opportunities for philanthropic engagement, ranging from independent national assessments and technical support for Global South governments to the creation of 'first-mover clubs' of governments. It emphasizes that transparency alone is insufficient and that durable reform requires the co-development of repurposing strategies to support vulnerable groups and businesses transitioning away from harmful subsidies.

The report argues that Africa remains hindered by colonial legacies, financial dependency, and weak institutional leadership. It highlights critical crises in food security, youth unemployment, and rising conflict, while critiquing the AU's leadership selection process and its focus on reparations over immediate structural reforms. The document recommends a more proactive AU Commission, a reformed Peace and Security Architecture, and a unified foreign policy to transition Africa from a passive observer to a powerful global actor.

The document outlines a proposal for a national Traditional Knowledge Database in Mozambique to prevent the loss and misappropriation of biodiversity-related knowledge. It details a multi-tiered access system—ranging from community representatives to the general public—and an interoperability framework designed to link with scientific repositories like BioNoMo and RECIMO. The proposal emphasizes community-centric governance, including Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and traditional dispute resolution, to ensure that knowledge holders maintain control over their cultural heritage and benefit from its use.

The document outlines TEEPSA's plan to conduct exploration drilling in the southern part of the DWOB license block, located approximately 211 km from Saldanha. It details the environmental impact assessment process, the planned drilling activities—including the use of mobile offshore drilling units and support vessels—and the potential negative impacts on marine species, fishing livelihoods, and intangible cultural heritage. It urges affected parties to register and submit comments by February 19, 2025.

The document outlines TEEPSA's proposal to drill up to seven exploration and appraisal wells in a 15,000 km2 area of the Deep Water Orange Basin South, located approximately 211km from Saldanha. It details the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, the technical phases of drilling, and potential risks to marine life, fishing livelihoods, and the cultural heritage of coastal communities. The public is invited to submit comments on the draft Scoping Report by 19 February 2025.

The Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill (TKLB) 2024 is proposed legislation in South Africa designed to formally recognise and regulate traditional and Khoi-San leadership. It follows a 2023 Constitutional Court decision that declared the Traditional Khoi-San Leadership Act 3 of 2019 unconstitutional due to a lack of public participation and concerns over land dispossession. The 2024 Bill introduces processes for leadership recognition in Section 8 and Section 10, and requires the Premier to define traditional council jurisdictions in the Provincial Gazette under Section 16(5) to address community land rights. However, the document notes gaps in the Bill, including a lack of direct mechanisms for communities to challenge leadership recognition, the absence of voting rights for leaders in municipal councils, and insufficient enforcement mechanisms for gender representation, despite a requirement that one in three council representatives be women.

Rhino Oil & Gas Exploration South Africa (Pty) Ltd has applied for two exploration rights, ER377 and ER378, to explore for natural gas, methane, helium, and hydrogen in the Free State Province. The project involves aeromagnetic surveys and the drilling of up to 20 wells, which may require significant water resources and infrastructure. Potential risks identified include water contamination, soil degradation, air pollution, and disruptions to agriculture and cultural heritage. The document emphasizes that the extraction of natural gas contributes to climate change through methane and carbon emissions. Public comments on the Draft EIA Reports are requested by 6 March 2025.