Electric vehicles (EVs) increasingly feature on the roads of the world. Pushed by environmental regulations, support programmes and improving economics, they are set to become dominant in the coming decades. Yet, the rollout of EVs risks leaving many behind. This policy brief considers the rollout of EVs in South Africa, focusing on…

Research undertaken in 2021 generated an evidence base of just transition project characteristics and financing needs in South Africa. The Mpumalanga sample of 26  projects covered a range of economic diversification interventions. Projects with novel technology opportunities related to land, water rehabilitation and agricultural dominated the sample.  All the projects were…

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a headline policy initiative of the European Green Deal. One of the drivers of the CBAM is that carbon emissions should have a price, and the CBAM is intended to “align the carbon price on imports with that applicable within the EU”. This…

This policy brief is an initial assessment of the European Green Deal, examining what is currently known about the risks it creates for South African exporters. It provides a summary of what regulatory changes are expected in the EGD, what risks these changes pose for South African firms, and what…

Many in the Global South and some in the Global North cannot afford clean and sustainable energy, and many live in a state of energy poverty. A just energy transition is a chance for economies to start again with a clean slate and do things differently. In the Global South, where…

This policy brief makes the case for a gender just transition in South Africa. It does so by: a) explaining why a gender just transition is vital by discussing the gendered impact of climate change; b) locating South African women within the broader society and within the economy; and c)…

As the reality of a coal transition and coal power decommissioning draw nearer, South Africa’s just transition plan is both urgent and glaringly absent. There is a pressing need to manage the impacts of the transition on workers and local economic development, particularly in coal-dependent regions and affected communities. A credible…

The small and medium enterprise (SME) sector is critical for the South African economy and job creation – but it is highly vulnerable to external shocks. In responding to the COVID-19 crisis there is much to learn from the experience of the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC) and the impact…

This policy briefs aims to provide an overview of the characteristics of the vulnerable groups in the petroleum-based transport value chain; an understanding of the dimensions of the impact and expected timeframes for the transition; and an overview of the proposed resilience plans. It first looks at the characteristics of those…