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This report analyzes the fiscal implications of the clean energy transition for the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), focusing on the reliance of government budgets on fossil fuel revenues and the impact of existing subsidies.

The 2015 EIA Guideline for Renewable Energy Projects provides a legal and procedural framework for the development of wind, solar, hydro, and biomass energy in South Africa. It aims to streamline the environmental authorization process, integrating requirements from NEMA and other acts to support the country's transition toward a target of 17.8GWe of renewable capacity by 2030.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs outlines Africa's priorities and demands for COP28, emphasizing the need for a fundamental overhaul of the global financial architecture to ensure equitable climate finance, accelerated adaptation funding, and the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund.

A letter from civil society organisations to South Africa's Minister of Energy, David Mahlobo, requesting a meeting to discuss the development of the Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The signatories express concerns over the integrity of the planning process and advocate for a just transition from coal to publicly-owned renewable energy based on eleven specific principles of transparency, cost-effectiveness, and human rights.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the challenges and progress of phasing out fossil fuels within G20 nations. It highlights the economic and social dependencies that hinder the transition, the failure of G20 countries to meet subsidy reduction promises, and the specific goals of South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency to champion a people-centered, just energy transition.

This report by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) proposes a worker-centred alternative financing framework for South Africa's just transition to a low-carbon economy. It argues that existing mechanisms, such as the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), rely too heavily on private sector funding and profit-driven models, which risk neglecting socioeconomic rights and worker protections. The IEJ advocates for a holistic macroeconomic shift involving promotional fiscal and monetary policies, the creation of a Climate Response Fund (CRF), and the realignment of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to prioritise public goods and job creation over profit.

The report critiques the prevalence of polluting energy sources in Africa, highlighting the environmental and social costs of coal in South Africa, oil in Nigeria and Uganda, and large dams in Mozambique. It emphasizes the paradox of high energy production alongside extreme energy poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa and advocates for a systemic shift toward decentralized, renewable energy.

The Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa (MEJCON-SA) and Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) have lodged an appeal to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to set aside an environmental authorisation (EA) granted by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) on 09 May 2025 to Tetra4 (Pty) Ltd. The EA allows Tetra4 to extend its production right to incorporate 18 additional wells across 80 farm portions in the Free State Province. The appellants argue that Tetra4 used a Basic Assessment Report (BAR) process under section 102 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) to circumvent a previous ministerial order from 01 August 2024, which had set aside a larger 'Cluster 2' expansion due to inadequate climate and groundwater assessments.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the inequities of global climate finance, arguing that current G20-led mechanisms often exacerbate debt vulnerability in developing nations through a reliance on loans and 'de-risking' strategies that prioritize private profit over public welfare.

This report explores the use of ethnographic research to enhance the inclusivity and participatory nature of South Africa's just energy transition, specifically within the coal-dependent communities of Mpumalanga.

This research paper analyzes the evolving energy relations between Germany and Africa, noting a shift from traditional development cooperation toward a broader approach combining energy diplomacy, foreign policy, and technical cooperation. The author highlights a tension between Germany's commitment to a 'just transition' and its strategic interests in securing both renewable energy (particularly green hydrogen) and fossil fuel imports to ensure energy security.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) has released its Strategy Summary & Implementation Plan for 2023–2027, which outlines a framework to achieve systemic social and economic change. The strategy focuses on producing critical knowledge, shifting economic discourse, and supporting collective power to advance economic justice in South Africa and across the African continent, with a specific emphasis on feminist and intersectional analytical lenses.

This report by WWF South Africa analyzes the financing gap and investment opportunities for climate change adaptation and mitigation within the South African agricultural sector. It highlights the sector's vulnerability to extreme weather and the need for a 'just transition' that includes small-scale farmers. The document identifies specific market potentials for AgTech, regenerative agriculture, and renewable energy, while recommending the development of innovative financial instruments, technical assistance facilities, and concessional finance to unlock private capital.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights, on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, to the South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, urging the prioritisation of a coal phase-out and a just transition to sustainable energy systems.

In a speech delivered on November 10, 2011, at the South African Institute of International Affairs, French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Alain Juppé discussed the necessity of a new global governance framework that integrates Africa's emerging influence. He outlined four primary shared challenges—economic crisis, development, security, and the environment—and advocated for the reform of the UN Security Council and the creation of a World Environment Organisation to better reflect current global realities.

This case study examines the development of the Regional Electricity Market (REM) within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), an association of national utilities from Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. It analyzes the transition from a cooperative pool to a competitive market, the role of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and the challenges posed by diverse national agendas and infrastructure deficits.

This industry brief by GreenCape outlines the opportunities and challenges for large-scale renewable energy development in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It highlights the province's significant grid capacity and strategic location while detailing the regulatory and environmental hurdles—specifically regarding mining rights and bird flight paths—that developers must navigate to facilitate a just energy transition.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the role of green financing and blended finance in scaling renewable energy across Africa, using Kenya as a primary case study to illustrate how public and private capital can be combined to meet rising energy demands and climate commitments.

This executive summary by Friends of the Earth International argues that the global revenue lost to tax havens is sufficient to fund a transition to 100% renewable energy for half the world by 2030. It focuses on the financial feasibility of an 'Energy Revolution' in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia, while calling for the dismantling of corporate tax avoidance to fund a just and democratic energy transition.

This policy brief argues that South Africa should leverage international interest in green hydrogen to catalyze local socio-economic development and regional integration. It recommends prioritizing trade-focused investments in physical, institutional, and social enablers—specifically port infrastructure, domestic manufacturing of electrolysers, and community-centric social strategies—to ensure the sector benefits the domestic population rather than serving only as an export mechanism.