Last week I lamented how many of the political manifestos in the lead up to the 2024 general elections fell short of prominently raising any issues on climate policy or any intersection with social or economic policy, but I equally found solace in the presidents Inauguration address that climate action would remain a priority for the 7th administration.
Its a brand-new day, we have the Government of National Unity (GNU), and as expected, the permutations and predictions about who was going to be in the Cabinet has now shifted to who is in and what they stand for.
Interestingly, a notable body of such opinion and analysis has over the past two days also focused on whether climate policy and action will be priority for those in charge of certain portfolios, particularly energy, environment, and the economic sectors.
We dont believe that composition of the executive should be a crystal ball to our countrys future climate policy. To the new government, as we have done with the previous, the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) continues to share insights and provides guidance on how the state interacts with the just transition pathway we have set for ourselves.
Against this context, the PCC partnered with the Human Sciences Research Council to conduct a national survey on perceptions of climate change and the Just Transition in South Africa.
