Just Transition to a Decarbonised Economy for South Africa (JUST SA)

The project supports the implementation of pathways towards an environmentally sustainable, climate-change resilient, low-carbon economy and just society. At the national level, the project supports the multi-level stakeholder dialogue set up by the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) on Just Transition, ensuring an inclusive and results-oriented process. At regional level, the project assists the Mpumalanga provincial government in formulating a concrete, sustainable and just green economy transition plan for a diversified regional economy, which covers skills pathway development and finance mechanisms. At the local level, the project implements the plan, pilots and scales up in selected municipalities of Mpumalanga and private sector action is incentivised. Furthermore, mine rehabilitation is addressed with a focus on mine water treatment through research, policy implementation and community engagement. Lessons learnt are fed back into the dialogue process.

Project data

Countries: South Africa
IKI funding: 15,000,000.00 €
Duration: 06/2022 till 08/2027
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) - South Africa
Implementing Partner: The GreenCape Sector Development Agency

National Business Initiative - South Africa

Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS)

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - South Africa

Youth Employment Services (YES)

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State of implementation/results

A two-day course on the Green Economy and Just Transition for sub-national government officials was developed by Trade Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) as part of the Just Transition to a Decarbonised Economy for South Africa (JUST SA) project. The first training sessions took place in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces in May and July 2024, with approximately 70 officials in total attending. The training provided essential capacity-building for provincial and municipal officials, focusing on applicable tools and practical examples of the green economy and just transition within both a global and South African context. Through various exercises and group discussions, participants explored existing policies and instruments that promote the transition toward climate-compatible industrial development. These discussions and exercises helped identify potential opportunities for transitioning to a green economy, while also enhancing participants' understanding of the key elements, opportunities, and challenges associated with a just transition in South Africa, particularly at the sub-national level.
The first stakeholder reference group meeting on mine restoration, hosted by WWF, was held on 26 July 2024 in Mbombela.
A technical advisory group for mine land and water rehabilitation held its inaugural meeting on 2 February 2024. This meeting fostered a dynamic exchange of viewpoints, promoting a rich exploration of ideas. The purpose of this technical reference group is to provide guidance, support, and knowledge exchange on policies, research, and activities related to mine water treatment and land rehabilitation, thereby informing the technical and economic analysis to be developed under Output 4. The second meeting took place on 31 July.
At the end of October 2023, the Just Transition to a Decarbonised Economy for South Africa (JUST SA) program, funded by the IKI, joined the Just Energy Transition in Coal Regions Interregional Platform (JET-CR) study tour in Germany and Poland, as well as the International Forum for Coal Regions in Transition Conference in Berlin. The JET-CR Platform aims to accelerate and support just energy transitions in alignment with long-term decarbonisation plans and other sustainable economic activities in several countries, including Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Mongolia. The South African delegation that participated in these events included Ms. Dudu Sibiya, Provincial Climate Change Coordinator at the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA); Ms. Zimasa Vazi, Partnerships and Stakeholder Relations Manager at the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) Secretariat; Mr. Nkosinathi Nkonyane, Acting Chief Executive Officer at the Mpumalanga Green Cluster Agency (MGCA); and Mr. Jongikhaya Witi, Chief Director of Climate Change Monitoring and Evaluation at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
A high-level launch event was held on 14 March 2023, providing an opportunity for approximately 150 selected local stakeholders, government representatives (including South Africa’s Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms. Barbara Creecy), academics, and representatives of the donor community to exchange ideas and learn about the project.

Latest Update:
01/2025