The National Development Plan (NDP) envisages that, by 2030, South Africa will have made headway in transitioning to an environmentally sustainable, climate change resilient, low-carbon and just society (Chapter Five of the NDP). This will be done by promoting economic growth, social equity and environmental sustainability. The project will assist in giving effect to the proposals contained in the Chapter Five of the National Development Plan. This will be achieved through convening a series of high-level dialogue stakeholder meetings to build consensus on the vision and develop long-term pathways with concrete options for low-carbon economic and climate-resilient future for South Africa.

This project therefore seeks to support the NPC in the implementation of the climate resilient and low carbon components of the NDP that powers economic development, reduces poverty, creates jobs and enterprises and promotes environmental climate-resilient sustainability. It will do this by considering current priorities and targets in place in order to inform the Visioning 2050 pathways and conversations. This project therefore seeks to support the NPC in the implementation of the climate resilient and low carbon components of the NDP that powers economic development, reduces poverty, creates jobs and enterprises and promotes environmental climate-resilient sustainability.

It will do this by considering current priorities and targets in place in order to inform the Visioning 2050 pathways and conversations. Chapter Five of the NDP will be done by promoting:
∎ Economic growth and development through adequate investment in infrastructure, coordinated planning and economic growth through job creation.
∎ Social equity through expanded access to electricity at affordable tariffs and through targeted, sustainable subsidies for needy households.
∎ Environmental sustainability through efforts to reduce pollution and emissions and adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The next phase of the NPC’s work will be to assist government to begin a process of implementing the Plan and in particular, Chapter 5, which is aptly titled Ensuring Environmental Sustainability and an Equitable Transition to a Low Carbon Economy. It will do this through further advocacy work, research to deepen and extend the Plan, identification of policy and planning failures that need to be addressed, and through building constituencies of support amongst all relevant stakeholders for implementing the Plan. The NPC work will also entail embracing divergence in order to move beyond the blockages; including civil society groups, private industry and the relevant government departments.

SEA and OneWorld Sustainable Investments have been commissioned by the National Planning Commission to convene high-level dialogue meetings and wider stakeholder meetings to facilitate a process to reach a social compact between the key social partners, namely, government, business, labour and civil society. The social compact will involve an agreed vision and pathway for a low-carbon and climate-resilient society, whilst at the same time addressing poverty, inequality and unemployment. This work will inform implementation of the NDP as well as government policy and other social partner decision-making on climate change, the economy, social and other sustainability matters going forward.

Client: National Planning Commission under the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Project timeframe: 2018 - 2019
Project manager: Peta Wolpe