South Africa’s just transition social dialogue

South Africa has undertaken early national engagement on a just transition for its coal industry in a context where coal accounts for 73% of the country’s energy supply and about 1% of direct formal employment. The Congress of South African Trade Unions initiated the just transition conversation as far back as 2011. The concept was then included in several high-level planning and policy documents, including in South Africa’s 2012 National Development Plan, to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. The country was also the only one to highlight the importance of a just transition as part of its initial Nationally Determined Contribution under the 2015 Paris Agreement. In addition, the government in 2017 conducted a thorough National Employment Vulnerability Assessment to understand the potential impacts of clean energy transitions on employment by sector. These efforts have been complemented by a strong, nationwide social dialogue designed to give all stakeholders a voice in the country’s vision for a just transition. This ongoing national engagement on the just transition has helped lay the early groundwork for the country to develop concrete people-centred clean energy transition plans. In late 2020, social partners of the country’s National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) reached a framework agreement on the transition of state-owned utility Eskom. NEDLAC was established under statute in 1994 as a body to bring together South Africa’s main social partners (government, business, organised labour and civil society) to address the social and economic challenges facing the country. The Eskom social compact allows social partners to collaborate on projects to repurpose old coal power stations and to use clean coal technologies as part of a just transition. 

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