Just Transition Pathways Report Launch: AFOLU Sector Decarbonisation and The Role of Gas for a Just Transition Reports

We are excited to announce the release of the next two report chapters from the Just Transition Pathways research project:

1. The AFOLU Sector Decarbonisation Pathway Report
2. The Role of Gas for a Just Transition Report

This project is a partnership between the National Business Initiative (NBI), Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). These chapters form part of the broader series focussed on developing decarbonisation pathways for sectors of the South African economy.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) chapter explores measures and impacts of the transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient AFOLU sector, while the Gas report focuses on understanding the role of gas in South Africa’s decarbonisation journey.

Like many developing countries, South Africa has the task of balancing the urgent need for a just economic transition and growth with ensuring environmental resources are sustainably used and consumed, while also responding to the physical impacts of climate change. These sectors play a critical role in responding to these challenges.

Key findings from each of these reports:

1. The South African AFOLU sector is at significant climate risk and requires the development of a climate resilient AFOLU sector. This will ensure food security,  sustainable healthy diets for all South Africans and maintain the sector’s socio-economic contribution.
2. If affordably supplied, gas can play a key transition role by enabling variability management in the power sector and substitute coal feedstock in industry and particularly in the synfuels sector.

Background:

South Africa is extremely vulnerable to the physical risk of climate change and the transition risk presented by a rapid global trend to a zero-carbon future. There is a pressing need to cut greenhouse gas emissions significantly to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change globally. We also need to consider green industrialisation as an opportunity to address South Africa’s economic stagnation and to respond to the global economic crisis triggered by the devastating COVID-19 Pandemic. To enable our economic recovery, ensure long term competitiveness and social resilience in the face of future climate and transition risk, South Africa needs a Just Transition plan to avoid getting left behind. We therefore need to work toward a goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Join the webinar on Tuesday, 2 November 2021, to learn more about the results and consider implications and opportunities for South Africa with our multistakeholder panel.

Please click here to register for this Zoom webinar.