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The document defines a just energy transition as a shift toward sustainable energy that incorporates environmental justice, ensuring marginalized groups are central to decision-making. It analyzes South Africa's current energy system, which is dominated by coal (approximately 80%), and outlines the legal frameworks, such as the Constitution and NEMA, that support community rights. The guide provides practical steps for accessing information via PAIA, securing free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and participating in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). It also highlights the potential for community-based renewable energy initiatives, using a case study from Kenya to illustrate successful local ownership.

Natural Justice argues that South Africa's Gas Master Plan is incompatible with the country's climate commitments and the Climate Change Bill. The submission highlights risks including fugitive methane emissions, fossil fuel dependency, and the potential for inadequate compensation for land expropriation. It calls for a transition toward renewable energy, the adoption of the 'free prior and informed consent' (FPIC) principle for affected communities, and a more transparent public participation process.

The document outlines several voluntary commitments and coalitions aimed at achieving sustainable energy goals. Key initiatives include the Energy Compacts for SDG7, the Just and Inclusive Energy Transition (JIET) Compact endorsed by G20 ministers, and the No New Coal Compact. It also highlights the Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South, the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Compact, and the Energy Compact on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Additionally, it mentions Mission 300, a World Bank and African Development Bank initiative to electrify Africa, and global networks like the Cool Coalition and Mission Efficiency.

Nigeria faces a substantial annual climate financing gap of $15.8 billion, with tracked inflows of $1.9 billion remaining low relative to its economy. The document argues for a Country Platform for Climate Action (CPCA) to coordinate government, private sector, and international efforts, citing the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Senegal as models. While JETPs have mobilized $46.5 billion across four countries, they are criticized for narrow focuses on energy systems and inadequate local engagement. A proposed Nigerian CPCA would expand this scope to include resilience, industrial growth, and social equity, while balancing geopolitical relationships with the EU, US, China, and India to meet a $1.9 trillion energy transition target by 2060.

The document examines the shift in India's Africa policy from Cold War-era support for anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles to a modern approach centered on economic diplomacy and energy security. While India seeks to secure crude oil and LNG to fuel its projected economic growth, the author argues that its engagement remains 'development friendly' and 'Third Worldist,' evidenced by diversified trade, capacity-building initiatives, and multilateral cooperation through forums like IBSA.

The document advocates for the transition from incandescent and mercury vapour lighting to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), LEDs, and efficient fluorescent tubes in South African urban areas. It highlights that lighting accounts for approximately 12% of electricity use in the residential and commercial sectors, and replacing traditional bulbs with CFLs can reduce this by up to 75%. Using Cape Town as a model, the guide estimates that achieving penetration targets could save 8 million MWh of electricity and 7.5 million tonnes of CO2 by 2024. It identifies barriers such as high initial costs for low-income households and municipal reluctance to reduce electricity sales, while suggesting implementation strategies through procurement policy changes and Eskom's demand side management (DSM) subsidies. Case studies from Ekurhuleni and international examples from Australia, the USA, and India illustrate the economic and environmental viability of these interventions.

The document examines the constraints of the current international finance architecture for Africa, noting that between 2016 and 2020, the continent received only $19.5 billion in climate funding against annual adaptation needs of $30-50 billion. It proposes that the G20 can bridge this gap by developing green finance taxonomies, promoting risk sharing through multilateral development bank guarantees, and facilitating carbon pricing. The author advocates for the use of debt-for-climate swaps to alleviate debt burdens while funding nature conservation and the expansion of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), citing the South African model. Additionally, the paper highlights the role of natural gas as a transition fuel and the importance of investing in the AFOLU sector, which contributed 56% of Africa's total emissions in 2016.

South Africa is transitioning from a coal-dependent economy to a low-carbon one, utilizing frameworks like the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). However, the implementation phase reveals a significant disconnect between national/international actors—who prioritize emission reductions and energy security—and local communities, who prioritize employment, basic services, and poverty alleviation. Key barriers include insufficient subnational institutional capacity, rigid financial mechanisms unsuitable for high-risk systemic change, and a lack of transparency in selecting project beneficiaries. The document specifically highlights green hydrogen as a potential new value chain, though its viability is currently hindered by high costs and the perception of just transition elements as additional financial burdens rather than core objectives.

The report evaluates South Africa's REIPPPP, noting its success in attracting over R300 billion in infrastructure investment and selecting over 120 preferred bidders. However, it identifies critical bottlenecks, including limited grid capacity and high transaction costs for bidders. The author argues that maximizing the programme's potential requires improving programme design, enhancing transmission infrastructure, and developing local financial solutions to prevent global funds from crowding out domestic investors. The report also highlights the role of government tax incentives, such as Section 12B of the Income Tax Act, and the importance of integrating battery energy storage systems (BESS) and gas-to-power to stabilize the energy mix and reduce reliance on coal.

This practice note outlines the legal proceedings in the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria) regarding Case No. 51765/2017. The City of Cape Town is seeking a declaratory order stating that a section 34 determination under the Electricity Regulation Act is not necessary to establish a new power plant for the city. The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is applying to be admitted as amicus curiae to address issues concerning the transition to renewable energy and the environmental impacts of coal-fired power stations.

The report outlines the transition of South Africa's automotive industry toward electric vehicles, highlighting key opportunities in public transport, micro-mobility, private passenger vehicles, and lithium-ion cell manufacturing. It emphasizes the pressure from the European Union's 2035 ban on internal combustion engine vehicles to drive local production and the role of South Africa's mineral reserves in the battery value chain.

The document examines how African nations have navigated the Russia-Ukraine war, highlighting a preference for non-alignment driven by historical grievances with Western leadership and strategic national interests. It details the varied voting patterns of African states at the UN General Assembly, the potential for Africa to fill Europe's energy gap through gas and critical minerals, and the risks posed by great-power competition to regional security, particularly in the Sahel.

Global Witness reports that the 'rush for lithium' in Africa is failing to deliver a just energy transition, instead risking the entrenchment of corruption and ESG failures. In Zimbabwe, the Sandawana mine is linked to sanctioned elites and ZANU-PF allies, with reports of child labour and the illegal export of unprocessed ore. In Namibia, Xinfeng Investments is accused of using bribery to acquire licenses and operating an industrial-scale mine under small-scale permits to avoid environmental assessments. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Manono project has been stalled by ownership disputes and allegations that shell companies linked to former President Joseph Kabila's associates profited by millions while the state treasury received negligible funds.

The document examines the potential for nuclear energy and technology in Africa, contrasting its developmental benefits in medicine and research with the high costs and financial risks of commercial power plants. It finds that major development finance institutions generally avoid nuclear funding, leaving African nations reliant on vendor financing from countries like Russia and China. The authors argue that due to the falling costs of renewables, investing in solar, wind, and energy storage is generally a more cost-effective path to energy security for the continent.

The paper argues that renewable energy value chains (REVCs) often replicate existing global inequalities, where Global South countries are relegated to low-value-added activities like mineral extraction while Global North countries capture high-value R&D and manufacturing. By applying a 'social reproduction lens'—which examines the intersection of paid and unpaid work and the organization of everyday life—the authors highlight how these structural asymmetries, combined with the 'feminisation of informality,' create barriers to gender equity and sustainable livelihoods. The proposed framework consists of three dimensions: global distribution of value, work and livelihoods, and ecological justice. It emphasizes that a 'just transition' requires moving beyond individual capabilities to address systemic issues such as 'ecologically unequal exchange,' where the Global North appropriates land, labour, and materials from the South. The document concludes with an assessment matrix to guide policymakers in creating high-quality, formal jobs that are compatible with the social reproduction needs of marginalized groups.

The document argues that the 2026 JTWP dialogues should be structured around international cooperation, technical assistance, capacity-building, and knowledge sharing to inform the design of the Just Transition Mechanism. Drawing on research from the Global South, it highlights critical gaps in financing for social protection, the risks of extractive dynamics in critical mineral supply chains, and the need for technology co-development rather than simple transfer. It specifically identifies needs for better disaggregated data in countries like Uganda and Kenya, and the risk of 'greening elsewhere' in Indonesia due to coal-powered nickel smelting.

Africa possesses immense untapped ocean-based renewable energy potential, particularly in offshore wind, which could provide over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits and millions of jobs. While current deployment is minimal, tapping just 5% of the continent's 6,750 GW offshore wind potential could more than double its current power generation capacity and meet all new electricity demand through 2040. Realising this potential requires significant investment in infrastructure and policy frameworks, as Africa currently receives less than 2% of global renewable energy investment.

The document identifies a critical gap in South Africa's 'just transition' framework, which the author describes as 'reactive' because it primarily addresses future losses in the coal sector. The paper proposes a 'proactive' approach termed 'just distribution,' focusing on the electricity distribution landscape. It argues that the current system—characterized by complex governance shared between Eskom and local municipalities—undermines poverty reduction goals. The author introduces a preliminary 'energy-society model' to map how drivers like local government fiscal models and governance gaps lead to adverse socioeconomic outcomes, such as energy poverty and the forced use of polluting substitutes, which are often more significant than the expected impacts of the low-carbon transition itself.

In 2022, global coal emissions were poised to reach record highs due to energy disruptions, yet the year also saw record coal capacity retirements and cancellations. Over 95 percent of global coal consumption now occurs in markets committed to net-zero emissions or coal phaseouts. Finance has become a primary lever for this transition, with approximately $45.2 billion committed over two years, primarily through Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam. However, these funds are viewed as stepping stones, as the total investment needed for system-wide transitions—including clean energy infrastructure and just transition efforts—far exceeds current commitments. The document emphasizes the need for greater transparency in deal design and a balance between top-down country programs and bottom-up asset-level pilots to mobilize the necessary private and public capital.

The Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy for South Africa (CMMSSA) aims to leverage the country's mineral wealth to drive industrialization and economic growth during the global energy transition. While the strategy introduces a science-based classification of critical minerals and a multi-pillar approach to value addition, it faces significant hurdles including institutional capacity constraints, regulatory uncertainty, and a lack of integration with social justice and 'just transition' principles. Furthermore, the document notes a tension between the CMMSSA's investor-friendly goals and the more restrictive racial transformation requirements found in draft amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA).