Introduction South Africa has the dubious distinction of having amongst the highest rates of unemployment and inequality in the world. It is also one of the most emissions-intensive economies, measured in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of economic output. The co-existence of high unemployment and high emissions intensity is not just a coincidence. South Africa’s history of segregation and apartheid has had profound implications for its development path. One outcome was an economy heavily based on mining, mineral processing and heavy industry, subsidised by cheap electricity.

South Africa has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest rates of unemployment and inequality in the world. It is also one of the world’s most emissions-intensive economies, measured in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of economic output. Historically, both during and after apartheid, state subsidies have favoured capital- and energy-intensive industries. What policies are necessary to change the development path to be both more climate- and labour-friendly?

Abstract

Abstract

Infrastructure, both hard (Transport) and soft (Digital), are considered catalysts of economic growth. The provision for low-carbon infrastructure, in light of public-private partnerships, is part of a larger initiative to identify the most promising research issues to support an actionable low-carbon transition in the Global South.