What is Just Transitions?

The world is facing two major distinct but intersecting crises. First, climate change is upon us as a result of ecological collapse due to human behaviour. Second, widespread poverty and inequality have created a socio-economic crisis. 

There is a global unanimous agreement that to mitigate human impact on the environment and the effect on the global carbon cycle, it is necessary to turn to renewable energy sources. However, there is concern that the necessary steps to make such a transition in mitigating the first global crisis will exacerbate the second because of consequential job losses in the existing social structure of energy generation. 

One of the major concerns in the South African context is the potential loss of employment and livelihoods because of various low-carbon and digital economy policy interventions. This research undertaking looks at how a social protection floor could alleviate some of these anxieties.