Industries
A 2022 case study which identifies main actors, objectives, and the relevant contextual factors forming the political economy of energy and coal in South Africa by analyzing the driving factors for the ongoing dominance of coal.
[Originally posted at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0973082622000928]
A 2021 paper which describes critical considerations for achieving an equitable transition in the electricity sector that will rise to the climate challenge and the imperatives of economic and environmental justice.
[Originally posted at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fb58e0bd182a42ba80eabdd/t/62630600bc6da229ca45e537/1650656769141/FINAL+7+Key+Components+for+Considering+Equity+Within+the+Transition+to+Clean+Energy.pdf]
A 2020 report which aims to identify areas where scientific approaches can support policy, rather than dictate policy choices. For instance, interdisciplinary scenario work combining technology, economics, and social sciences could demonstrate the multiple benefits of sustainable recovery pathways and accompanying societal transformations to enable a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable post-COVID–19 world. In
addition, an assessment of the effects of digitalization on energy demand in transport, buildings, and industry, as well as options for making digitalization more sustainable and just, should be undertaken.
[Originally posted at https://council.science/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IIASA-ISC-Reports-Energy.pdf]
A 2011 report which provides a segmented view of the net direct job creation expected in the formal economy across a wide range of technologies/activities that may be classified as green or contributing to the greening of the economy. The report aims to contribute to strategic planning. It highlights implementation challenges to unlock the green economy's potential.
[Originally posted at https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition/item/4056-green-jobs-an-estimation-of-the-direct-employment-potential-of-greening-the-south-african-economy]
A 2016 booklet which makes a case for a project to address the waste and pollution legacy of mining in the Witwatersrand basin with a clear linkage between the potential for revenue generation through materials reclamation and comprehensively addressing the entire rehabilitation challenge, with the participation of all stakeholders. The paper sketches the background and the extent of the challenge, the legislative and regulatory context, and the imperatives for urgent action, then focuses on the Tweelopiespruit wetlands area for a potential pilot project.
[Originally posted at https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition/item/4059-rehabilitation-of-mine-contaminated-eco-systems-a-contribution-to-a-just-transition-to-a-low-carbon-economy-to-combat-unemployment-and-climate-change]
A 2019 report which offers an analysis of the current energy system and its dynamics in employment, the current international shift from coal to renewable energy, the drivers of an energy system change in South Africa such as the falling cost of renewable energy, climate change, coal production, addressing socio-economic challenges, and the urgent need to reform Eskom. It emphasizes the importance of a transparent and people-centred Just Energy Transition led by social dialogue and consultation, ensuring equality in all forms.
[Originally posted at https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition/item/4091-remaking-our-energy-future-towards-a-just-energy-transition-in-south-africa]
A 2019 book which looks at the anticipated impact of climate change and the experiences of millions of people who are facing a climate disaster, focusing on Southern and South Africa. It takes its perspective from fenceline communities who have varying interests in a 'just transition'. The book also recalls the Million Climate jobs campaign, discussing where the climate change jobs will materialize. Lastly it examines the implications of a chaotic and unplanned transition out of coal, experienced around Arnot and Hendrina, two of the six power stations slated for decommissioning before 2030.
[Originally posted at https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition/item/4094-down-to-zero-the-politics-of-just-transition]
A 2020 report which calls a post-Covid Just Recovery plan, which ensures that economic systems are people centred and take into account the intersecting factors that cause inequalities and large-scale ecological damage. The paper outlines how we got to the current climate crisis through the emphasis on market fundamentalism, prioritization of profits and financialization, privatization and the hollowing out of the commons, globalization, extensive corporate and labour deregulation, over-reliance on fossil fuels, privatization of social reproduction and care work and how we measure human development and economic growth.
[Originally posted at https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition/item/4103-no-going-back-to-normal-imagining-a-just-recovery-in-south-africa]
A 2020 research which looks at the economic costs of transition from coal. The authors use secondary data and conduct surveys on coal companies to calculate costs related to the transition over a period of 20 years.
[Originally posted at https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition/item/4104-estimating-the-cost-of-a-just-transition-in-south-africa-s-coal-sector-protecting-workers-stimulating-regional-development-and-accelerating-a-low-carbon-transition]
A 2021 policy brief which speaks to the current policy vacuum, proposing steps to address it. It considers the implications of the coal transition for employment in South Africa, with reference to national policy and available research. It then seeks to characterize the key issues, points of contestation, and the current 'just transition'/employment policy vacuum.
[Originally posted at https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition/item/4235-making-sense-of-jobs-in-south-africa-s-just-energy-transition-managing-the-impact-of-a-coal-transition-on-employment]
A 2020 study which discusses the just transition transaction (JTT). The study seeks to understand the JTT, its architecture and potential to catalyze changes in the complex set of challenges facing South Africa’s electricity sector. The purpose of the study is to understand the potential of a JTT to accelerate the phase out of coal-fired power and to fund development projects.
[Originally posted at https://www.tips.org.za/just-transition/item/4269-climate-finance-to-transform-energy-infrastructure-as-part-of-a-just-transition-in-south-africa]
A 2021 paper which advocates for (1) greater political commitment and will towards the transition to renewable and less carbon intensive energy sources in ASEAN, and (2) greater public-private cooperation to close the region’s sustainable infrastructure investment gap to support the move to renewables and lower-carbon energy sources that will enable ASEAN to achieve its climate action commitments.
[Originally posted at https://www.jetro.go.jp/view_interface.php?blockId=32332087]
A 2022 report which serves as a platform for Indonesia’s government officials, business leaders, and the public alike to understand what a coal phase-out entails — from policies, socioeconomic concerns, financial needs, institutional readiness, to technical capacity. The report follows a webinar held by the Indonesian chapter of the Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE) to share the lessons learned on coal phase-out strategies and processes in other coal-reliant countries, i.e., Germany and Australia.
[Originally posted at https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/iki-media/publication/germanys-coal-phase-out-and-australias-practical-implementation-to-support-energy-transition-in-indonesia-1455/]
Hot Reports
Covid-19 and a Just Transition in India's Coal Mining Sector
The COVID 19 pandemic hit India hard in early 2020, with negative GDP growth and a surge in unemployment. In the energy sector, coal fired power generation was already under pressure from overcapacity, low electricity demand growth, and increasingly competitive renewables.
Considerations for a Just and Equitable Energy Transition
As the energy transition accelerates, it is our responsibility, it is our opportunity, to ensure that in addition to contributing to a healthy planet by replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources, this is accomplished in a just and equitable manner providing prosperity for all.
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