Event one: Financing a Just Transition in South Africa

Presented by Presidential Climate Commission

Recent developments in South Africa’s political climate signal positive prospects for fast-tracking the decarbonisation process. More importantly, for South Africa to meet its climate change adaptation targets, it needs a just and inclusive transition – one that is anchored by honouring climate finance pledges and clear policy implementation framework. The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) has played a crucial role in executing its mandate to advise the South African government on its climate change response and has been instrumental in driving mitigation and adaptation pathways to build a climate resilient economy and secure climate finance.

Through this interactive convening, the session aims to bring together climate finance field experts, development practitioners, PCC commissioners, and the private sector to share South Africa’s experience as well as facilitate an exchange on the country’s current mileage and upcoming hurdles on Just Transition Financing. The session will be guided by the following objectives:

• To inform the international community on the PCC’s role on Climate Finance and leading the discourse on Just Transition Finance.

• To market South Africa as a low carbon investment destination; and

• To highlight South Africa’s JETT proposal to the international community, as led by Eskom.
  
  Time: 09:30 to 11:30 GMT
  11:30 to 13:30 SAST

To attend this event, click on the link here.

Event two: Financing a Just Transition in South Africa (Part Two). CEO Roundtable Discussion: The Reality of the Energy Transition in South Africa, Financing, Economic and Social Factors to Consider

Hosted by Exxaro

As a nation, we need to transition our emissions intensive, fossil fuel based energy system to one that is sustainable and affordable. Financing the transition, reskilling of employees, building community resilience, and creating new jobs should be a collective responsibility between the private sector and governments as well as between developing nations such as South Africa and developed nations. As a developing country, we also require financial and technology transfers along with sound partnerships to ensure that our efforts do not result in unintended and negative socio-economic impacts. This panel discussion including, CEOs of major South Africa’s Energy companies and will provide a view of how collective financing of the transition may support the Just Transition process in South Africa

The discussion will be centred around the need to ensure that the energy transition in South Africa considers financial, economic, and social aspects. The coal mining industry remains one of the largest employers in South Africa and supports the livelihoods of communities and suppliers. Similarly, Eskom’s role in the generation and distribution of affordable electricity remains critical in driving economic growth and access to electricity for millions of people in South Africa. Any transition to a low carbon energy system must ensure that these communities and suppliers of goods and materials are part of the transition.

Time: 12:00 to 13:30 GMT
14:00 to 15:30 SAST

To attend this event, click on the link here.

Event three: Experiences from the Climate Finance Accelerator: The challenges and solutions for unlocking climate finance in South Africa

Presented by CFA Group and NBI

The Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) is a technical assistance programme that aims to support nine middle-income countries to develop a sustainable pipeline of bankable, low-carbon projects, with its ultimate objective to improve the flow of climate finance in participating countries. The CFA will complete its first round of assistance to projects within South Africa, culminating in a four-day event at the end of October.

Drawing on the experiences of the key participants in the four-day event (project developers, investors & policymakers), our panel will discuss the opportunities for enabling climate finance in South Africa. After an introduction to the CFA, the hybrid-attendance event will start with recorded video reflections from the projects, investors, and policymakers who participated at the South African CFA event.

Our panel will then share their reflections and discuss the challenges and solutions for unlocking climate finance in South Africa. The panel will include a member of the CFA who was heavily involved with the South African assistance programme and landscape mapping, as well as three members of key stakeholder groups who will represent a range of opinions and viewpoints. The physical and virtual audience will be encouraged to participate at the Q&A before the close of the event.

Time: 14:00 to 15:00 GMT

16:00 to 17:00 SAST

To attend the event, click on the link here.

From the Assessment of Transition Risk to the Closing of the Financing Gaps

Presented by DBSA

South Africa faces a series of important transition challenges in reaching its net zero target and doing that in a way that positively addresses the unsustainable features of the recent economic trajectory as well as serious socio-economic problems.

Success will require collaboration between government (setting policy/regulation) and the financial sector. Closing the alignment gaps between policymakers and the financial industry is key for delivering nationwide climate action which are consistent with SA climate trajectory. A forward-looking policy approach for addressing the country’s transition will help investor (foreign and local) decision-making for risk management and capital allocation. Building the investor confidence will ensure that investments are channelled in a timely way toward the targeted beneficiaries.

Furthermore, broad policy visions need to be translated into concrete actions plans. This panel discussion will unpack how financial institutions, specifically Development Financial Institutions (DFI’s) can support a Just Transition by looking at the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s (DBSA) climate finance journey in support of a transition, sharing lessons learned from Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Bank’s (EBRD) from their work in support of a transition in other countries. Furthermore, Willis Towers Watson will discuss how climate transition risk analysis can help financial institutions identify sources of risk and investment prioritisation to support a net zero transition and lastly the panel will hear from the Presidential Climate Commission on their views of what a Just Transition trajectory should look like and discuss the government’s role in creating an enabling environment.

Time: 15:00 to 16:00 GMT
17:00 to 18:00 SAST

Key success factors to decarbonisation

Presented by Sasol

The global energy mix is rapidly changing as countries around the world accelerate their decarbonisation agendas.

Southern Africa is pursuing a decarbonisation agenda that will require a step-change in public-private sector collaboration. Sasol has been engaging with many stakeholders in industry and governments as part of enabling a just transition.

Priscillah Mabelane, Executive Vice President: Energy at Sasol will discuss key success factors to decarbonisation, which include advancing catalytic projects in the region, while developing a partnership-based ecosystem with key partners and the right funding. These are some key success factors that will enable sustainable socio-economic development as the region begins a just transition.

Time: 16:00 to 16:30 GMT
18:00 to 18:30 SAST

Green Iron Production in South Africa – An opportunity to kick start South African participation in growing momentum of global sectoral decarbonisation of iron and steel making

Presented by IDDRI

Results of research into markets, technologies and enabling conditions for zero-emissions iron production in South Africa will be presented. A combination of commitments to decarbonisation, net-zero targets, recent advances in commercialisation of zero-emissions iron production technologies and potential abundant very low-cost renewable energy in South Africa plus ongoing demand for primary iron & steel present opportunities for cost-competitive production of zero-emissions green iron in South Africa.

Time: 17:00 to 17:30 GMT
19:00 to 19:30 SAST