Capacity Building for a Green Future: TIPS Completes Nation-Wide Just Transition Training

The TIPS JUST SA team has officially completed a series of capacity building events on the green economy and just transition for government officials and other stakeholders across all nine provinces of South Africa. While the provincial learning program has concluded, the training continues through our online learning platform where participants can still enrol and strengthen their knowledge of the just transition. Here is a look back at the journey.

The training sessions were attended by more than 280 officials from provincial, district, and local government structures, as well as national departments, organisations, and associations such as SALGA and DFFE. The first training event was held in Emalahleni in May 2024. Below is a chronological list of the provinces visited, together with attendance figures:

• Mpumalanga, 22 to 23 May 2024
• KwaZulu Natal, 3 to 4 July 2024
• Gauteng, 10 to 11 September 2024
• Free State, 4 to 5 February 2025 
• Western Cape, 1 to 2 April 2025 
• Eastern Cape, 21 to 22 May 2025 
• Northern Cape, 1 to 3 October 2025 
• Limpopo, 11 to 12 November 2025 
• North West Province, 17 to 18 February 2026

The training sessions encouraged meaningful interaction among participants. These peer learning exchanges demonstrated the value of collaboration in generating informed dialogue on just transition challenges. They also highlighted the extent to which municipalities often operate in isolation from one another and with other stakeholder groups when it comes to just transition planning and designing and implementing green economic initiatives. 

The discussions were shaped by key topics covered during the sessions, including:

• Doughnut Economics
• Greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon intensity of exports
• Net zero and key interventions to reduce carbon emissions
• Identifying green opportunities and policies to stimulate a green economy
• The South African green economy policy landscape
• Defining a just transition and the different dimensions of transitional justice
• Why a just transition matters
• Consequences of an unmanaged transition
• A typology of just transition policies based on dimensions of justice

Several important observations emerged from the sessions. For some participants, this was their first encounter with the concept of a “just transition”. The provincial vulnerability assessments presented by the team were particularly impactful and prompted important reflections on regional implications of climate change. It also became clear throughout the program of events that responding to climate change cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Each province has distinct strengths and vulnerabilities, requiring tailored just transition policies that address local realities.

The establishment of the TIPS JUST SA Community of Practice aims to foster continued knowledge sharing among municipalities and provinces. Strengthening collaboration between provinces and municipalities will be essential as South Africa advances it's just transition agenda.

Looking Forward

Looking ahead, the team will finalise the provincial podcast series, expand the online learning platform, and implement other activities under the JUST SA Community of Practice, including an international study tour to India in October 2026. The study tour will provide selected participants with an action-oriented learning experience and exposure to bottom up just transition policy development and programming in another country.

Acknowledgements 

We extend sincere appreciation to Natasha du Plessis, who recruited participants across all nine provinces through her extensive networks. We also thank TIPS JUST SA Lead, Ian Steaurt, and economists Dr Simbarashe Mhaka and Ntombifuthi Tshabalala for preparing and presenting the training material and Nothembi Mahlangu for conducting the research that informs our just transition data and for serving as one of the hosts of our provincial podcast series.

Please visit the TIPS project webpage for more information on the trainings and the course here: TIPS - The Just Transition to a Decarbonised Economy for South Africa (JUST SA)