Download or read book A Just Transition to a Low Carbon Future in South Africa written by Nqobile Xaba and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2022-02-01 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deliberations on the just transition in South Africa have intensified and will continue to do so for the next few years and decades. Climate change, widening socio-economic inequality, the precarious future of work and emergent approaches to financing arrangements have brought new urgency to the issues. It therefore remains critical to interrogate how South Africa can ensure a just transition to a low carbon economy. This book underlines the fact that the low carbon transition in South Africa has to grapple with complex historical, social, economic, cultural and political factors. The main message is that the transition to a low-carbon society is possible, but it can only succeed if it is just and handled collaboratively. In addition, the book aims to broaden the discourse on low carbon transition and explore the opportunities in and impediments to making the transition fair, affordable and socio-economically viable.
Download or read book Just Transitions written by Edouard Morena and published by Pluto Press (UK). This book was released on 2019-11-20 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can we secure jobs in the shift towards sustainable production?
Download or read book Transitioning to a Low carbon Economy written by Ntuweleni Ernest Mulibana and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An important goal of South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP) is to achieve a low-carbon economy through the process of a just transition. This goal will require the participation and cooperation from all stakeholders including academia, government, the energy sector, civil society and the financial sector. The role of banks and investment agencies will be particularly important due to the capital-intensity of low-carbon technologies and the large scale of energy grids. Using the framework of Technological Innovation Systems (TIS), this study has explored the role of South African banks in mobilising the necessary financial resources for the country's energy transition, and particularly the two important questions of whether there are presently sufficient funds, and whether the banks are presently promoting or delaying technological innovation in the renewable energy sector. Thirteen semi-structured interviews with representatives of South African banks and REI4P projects were conducted to collect data that was analysed using a content analysis approach. The study found that the banking sector has been investing in renewable energy producers through the provision of long-term loans and other forms of debt financing. However, it was noted that the banks are unwilling to provide funding for smaller deals (anything less than R100 million) or unproven renewable energy technologies such as small hydro, marine and geothermal. In summary, it was concluded that the financial sector in South Africa is not playing a visible leadership or advocacy role in respect of the country's transition to a low-carbon economy. Investment proposals from renewable energy firms are assessed in the same way as proposals from other firms and sectors. This response is somewhat surprising given the threat of climate change to the future of the sector. A more proactive role will be important if the NDP goal of a just transition is to be realised.
Download or read book The Climate Crisis written by Vishwas Satgar and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2018-02-01 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essays that address the question: how can people and class agency change this destructive course of history? Capitalism’s addiction to fossil fuels is heating our planet at a pace and scale never before experienced. Extreme weather patterns, rising sea levels and accelerating feedback loops are a commonplace feature of our lives. The number of environmental refugees is increasing and several island states and low-lying countries are becoming vulnerable. Corporate-induced climate change has set us on an ecocidal path of species extinction. Governments and their international platforms such as the Paris Climate Agreement deliver too little, too late. Most states, including South Africa, continue on their carbon-intensive energy paths, with devastating results. Political leaders across the world are failing to provide systemic solutions to the climate crisis. This is the context in which we must ask ourselves: how can people and class agency change this destructive course of history? Volume three in the Democratic Marxism series, The Climate Crisis investigates eco-socialist alternatives that are emerging. It presents the thinking of leading climate justice activists, campaigners and social movements advancing systemic alternatives and developing bottom-up, just transitions to sustain life. Through a combination of theoretical and empirical work, the authors collectively examine the challenges and opportunities inherent in the current moment. This volume builds on the class-struggle focus of Volume 2 by placing ecological issues at the centre of democratic Marxism. Most importantly, it explores ways to renew historical socialism with democratic, eco-socialist alternatives to meet current challenges in South Africa and the world.
Download or read book South Africa s Energy Transition written by Tobias Bischof-Niemz and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-07-11 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Africa’s energy transition has become a highly topical, emotive and politically contentious topic. Taking a systems perspective, this book offers an evidence-based roadmap for such a transition and debunks many of the myths raised about the risks of a renewable-energy-led electricity mix. Owing to its formidable solar and wind resources, South Africa has an almost unparalleled opportunity to turn solar photovoltaic and onshore wind generators into the country’s power generation workhorses – a role hitherto played by coal. This book shows that a renewables-led mix will not only provide the lowest cost, but will also create more jobs than any of the alternatives currently under consideration. In addition, it offers a glimpse of how South Africa’s low-cost and decarbonised electricity system can power a competitive industrial economy, an electric-mobility revolution and, in the long run, create new export opportunities. This book will be of great interest to energy industry practitioners, as well as students and scholars of energy policy and politics, environmental economics and sustainable development.
Download or read book Reality Check written by The World Bank and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2023-10-17 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To address the myriad challenges posed by global climate change, countries at all income levels have put in place a diverse set of policies over the past three decades. Many governments have already made significant progress in their efforts to decarbonize, creating a rich history of implementation experiences that provides important lessons for how to successfully advance climate policy goals in a variety of different economic, cultural, and political contexts. Despite this progress, the transition to a net zero future continues to face significant barriers, including the need for large investment, a lack of institutional capacity, and challenging political economy issues. Reality Check: Lessons from 25 Policies Advancing a Low-Carbon Future identifies key policy approaches that countries are taking to decarbonize their economies. The report classifies policies into five categories: • Planning for a future with zero net emissions • Getting the pricing and taxes right • Facilitating and triggering transitions in key systems, such as energy and food • Getting the finance flowing, particularly by incentivizing private sector investment • Ensuring a just transition that protects the poor. Reality Check: Lessons from 25 Policies Advancing a Low-Carbon Future fills a critical research gap by documenting low-carbon policy trends and providing a series of case studies across sectors and geographies. The 25 case studies furnish country contexts and policy details, examine results and impacts, and outline key takeaways and lessons learned for enabling further ambition in achieving emissions reductions. The report contributes to an evolving analytical agenda on how to reduce carbon emissions while achieving economic development and the strategic transition to a greener, more resilient, and more inclusive future.
Download or read book Unlocking Private Sector Investment for Low Carbon Transition in South Africa written by Weltbankgruppe and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just energy transition is key to South Africa's inclusive and sustainable growth. It is necessary to unlock large pools of private capital and attract foreign investment to drive low-carbon transition. Despite downside risks, South Africa has strong macroeconomic fundamentals and commitment to improving the overall investment climate. Climate change poses considerable systematic risks, thus needs to be urgently integrated into macroeconomic policy and planning. Harness transition opportunity invest in resilient infrastructure and create market for low-carbon technologies to boost growth and strengthen the macro investment climate. Implement carbon tax effectively and raise policy ambition, supported by a fiscal framework conducive for climate investments, as well as invest tax revenues to support just transition. The current energy crisis presents an opportunity for sector reform, regulatory changes, and use of innovative financial solutions to promote low-carbon private sector investments. The World Bank has developed this discussion paper in response to the government of South Africa's request to analyze ways in which private capital flows can be catalyzed and leveraged for low-carbon investments. The focus of this paper is on electricity generation sector and the industry sector.
Download or read book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster written by Bill Gates and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2021-02-16 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions—suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.
Download or read book Bending the Curve written by Robert Zipplies and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Climate Action in Southern Africa written by Philani Moyo and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-10-27 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using climate justice as an analytical tool, this volume examines the role of local mitigation and adaptation actions in Southern African in furthering climate resilient development. Climate Action in Southern Africa examines the intrinsic connection between local climate actions, climate resilient development and strides towards a just transition. The theoretical grounding in climate justice allows the authors to analyze whether current climate actions in Africa are truly effective for the poor and marginalized whose lives and livelihoods are impacted by a climate crisis largely not of their making. The authors also question the extent to which pathways to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 are achievable in Africa and ask whether this can be attained without undermining livelihoods and human development. Overall, the book argues that for any transition to be a just transition it has to be aligned with the pursuit of sustainable development and climate justice for current and future generations on the African continent. Drawing out key factors including politics, gender and migration, this volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, climate justice and African development.
Download or read book Green Innovation in China written by Joanna I. Lewis and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just a decade ago, China maintained only a handful of operating wind turbines -- all imported from Europe and the United States.
Download or read book Empowering the Great Energy Transition written by Scott Valentine and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2019-12-17 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At a time when climate-change deniers hold the reins of power in the United States and international greenhouse gas negotiations continue at a slow crawl, what options are available to cities, companies, and consumers around the world who seek a cleaner future? Scott Victor Valentine, Marilyn A. Brown, and Benjamin K. Sovacool explore developments and strategies that will help fast-track the transition to renewable energy. They provide an expert analysis of the achievable steps that citizens, organizational leaders, and policy makers can take to put their commitments to sustainability into practice. Empowering the Great Energy Transition examines trends that suggest a transition away from carbon-intensive energy sources is inevitable—there are too many forces for change at work to stop a shift to clean energy. Yet under the status quo, change will be too slow to avert the worst consequences of climate change. Humanity is on a path to incur avoidable social, environmental, and economic costs. Valentine, Brown, and Sovacool argue that new policies and business models are needed to surmount the hurdles separating the current consumption model from a sustainable energy future. Empowering the Great Energy Transition shows that with well-placed efforts, we can set humanity on a course that supports entrepreneurs and communities in mitigating the environmental harm caused by technologies whose time has come and gone.
Download or read book South Africa written by International Monetary Fund. Statistics Dept. and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2024-03-08 with total page 23 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Africa faces significant climate change challenges given its high dependency on coal energy and physical concentration of nature-related risks. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change projects that extreme temperatures to be on the upward trajectory. The increased frequency and intensity of nature-related risks are expected to have profound effect on human health, access to food and water, biodiversity, habitats and ecosystems, infrastructure, and human settlements. To implement climate change mitigation and adaptation policies, South Africa needs large amount of granular, relevant, and reliable data for evidence-based planning and just transition. Against this background, in July 2023 the International Monetary Fund’s Statistics Department conducted a diagnostic mission to support the authorities in developing a workplan for enhancing the environment and climate change statistics. Discussions with the various stakeholders indicated that there was a broad agreement to prioritize (a) the establishment of a centralized environmental and climate change database with formalized institutional arrangements for coordination, data sharing protocols, and communication of statistics, and (b) development of the first set of air emission accounts and reestablishment of the energy flow accounts. In the medium-term there is need to strengthen capacity for collection of statistics on government environmental expenditures and subsidies, especially from sub sovereign governments and municipalities, and tailored technical assistance/training on carbon footprints of foreign direct investments. The mission was financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and hosted by Statistics South Africa.
Download or read book A Green and Fair Future for a Just Transition to a Low Carbon Economy written by Trades Union Congress and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Investing in Climate Investing in Growth written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2017-05-23 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report provides an assessment of how governments can generate inclusive economic growth in the short term, while making progress towards climate goals to secure sustainable long-term growth. It describes the development pathways required to meet the Paris Agreement objectives.
Download or read book Global Renewables Outlook Energy Transformation 2050 written by International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA and published by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This book was released on 2020-04-01 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This outlook highlights climate-safe investment options until 2050, policies for transition and specific regional challenges. It also explores options to eventually cut emissions to zero.
Download or read book People s and Workers Climate Justice Charter Futures for South Africa written by Vishwas Satgar and published by African Sun Media. This book was released on 2023-06-14 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world’s first Climate Justice Charter emerged out of campaigning by the South African Food Sovereignty Campaign and Cooperative and Policy Alternative Centre during the recent drought (2014-2021) in South Africa. It was developed in dialogue with drought affected communities, labour unions, social justice and environmental justice organisations, faith-based communities, youth and children, climate scientists and climate justice activists. Moreover, it translated climate justice ideas, part of global struggles for the past two decades, for frontline struggles in the country. "This book focuses on South Africa, but captures the dilemma of all Africa and the Global South. It lays bare the climate injustice and polycrisis in the world, the resilience of the peoples and the intergenerational crimes committed by perpetrators. We are slipping beyond injury time, at the precipice. Read this book, share the message and join forces to chart the way to life and sanity” (Nnimmo Bassey).
