Earth, Wind and Fire

Earth, Wind and Fire: Unpacking the Political, Economic and Security Implications of Discourse on the Green Economy is the result of a MISTRA research project. It examines issues ranging from global and domestic climate change and sustainable energy issues to the mineral-energy complex issues that have given rise to local and sector-specific problems. Each chapter seeks to convey policy choices and recommendations, at the centre of which is a clear articulation of the need for an integrated mix of policy instruments in South Africa to mitigate emissions and promote the development of a low-carbon economy through the low-carbon and sustainable energy technologies and low-carbon innovation across various sectors of the economy.

The central theme of the book is that discourse and policy action on the Green Economy should fully embrace a transdisciplinary approach that acknowledges social complexity and takes on board the multidimensional nature of the issues.

The book acknowledges the impressive progress that South Africa has made in its procurement process for renewable energy. Yet, it also warns that long-term sustainability of such programmes depends also on maximising socio economic impact, especially among communities previously marginalised in the country’s historical socio-economic evolution.