Party manifestos lack a clear, coherent and inspiring roadmap for a just transition

In a few weeks South Africans will make their way to the voting stations in what is expected to be a tense election. In addition to familiar national challenges such as the stubbornly high unemployment rate, this election is also set against the backdrop of significant shifts in global politics. Politics and social divisions are increasing polarised, locally and internationally

One such issue is climate change, which is uniquely polarising on at least three fronts. 

First, on an international scale, the responsibility for historical greenhouse gas emissions lies primarily with industrialised countries, while the material effects of climate change will likely be disproportionately felt by countries in the Global South. On the one hand, South Africa is one of the highest emitters of carbon in Africa and in the top 20 emitters in the world, however, according to IPCC’s SR1.5, southern Africa is one of top 10 climate hotspots in the world. Subsequently, research indicates that over the past decades, warming in southern Africa has occurred at twice the average global rate. 

Second, while there may be a global push to address climate change by phasing out fossil fuels, on a local scale, many global south countries, like South Africa, remain reliant on natural resource extractive industries, such as coal mining, on which many livelihoods depend.

Third, South Africa’s extremely high levels of economic inequality manifest in the climate change debate. High-income households in South Africa disproportionately contribute to carbon emissions while the risks of climate change are borne disproportionately by low-income households.

However polarising climate change has become, addressing the climate crisis necessitates acknowledging that we are vulnerable and interdependent, both as a species and individually. It also demands that we think ambitiously about policies that will move us toward sustainable development, including in South Africa. 

Unfortunately, on the basis of the party manifestos alone, there is a lack of a clear and coherent vision for what political parties intend to do to tackle the climate crisis in South Africa, both locally and within the broader international policy processes. This shortcoming reflects a broader misconception that separates social and economic challenges and climate change, treating them as isolated problems rather than symptoms of an economy that structurally reproduces inequalities.

Critics have rightly pointed out the lack of a visionary approach to address climate change in the manifestos. What is also glaringly missing from the manifestos is any grasp of the potential of a just transition, which not only holds promise for combating the climate crisis but also for creating green and inclusive jobs and livelihoods with the notion of no one left behind. This is despite growing evidence that both of these issues are important for South Africans. For example, a small survey conducted earlier this year showed that the climate crisis and unemployment are two of the top 10 priorities for respondents to consider when voting in this year’s election. It’s also worth noting that climate change is interconnected with other critical issues, such as water supply, electricity and infrastructure, even if it’s not always the main concern.

A just transition advocates for a shift towards sustainable industries that prioritise both environmental sustainability and decent job creation, offering a path towards a more equitable economy. 

If implemented effectively, a just transition could generate job opportunities in sectors such as renewable energy, transport and construction. It also has the potential to catalyse radical and necessary shifts in public infrastructure investments. For example, the popular concept of green jobs goes beyond working in industries that will be decarbonised. Green jobs also include low carbon-emitting jobs, particularly in care work that will be critical for how we will inevitably need to care for each other more than ever, focusing on childcare and healthcare, among others. Investment in high-quality jobs in the care sectors of our economy is necessary for equitable access to job opportunities, particularly for women, as a source of employment for those transitioning from the fossil fuel sectors, and as a means to mitigate the climate crisis.

Just transition elusive in manifestos

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