Project Overview
This project uses a Transformative Energy & Climate Futures Policy Innovation Lab (TECF-PIL) research approach to explore how BRICS can reframe and advance positions on the just energy transition and the climate agenda, with a particular focus on South Africa and China. The initiative integrates a systemic understanding and adopts anticipatory thinking to facilitate action-oriented systemic innovations. By examining the orientations to climate and transition agendas of the BRICS system, the project focuses on developing a vision for change, anticipating a different future, and creating a transformative theory of change and action strategy to accelerate the energy transition and renewable energy (RE) scale-up. This will be achieved through lesson-sharing, peer-learning, policy experimentation, and the establishment of a BRICS knowledge community. The ultimate goal is to foster future-oriented just transition, clean energy, and climate diplomacy interventions.
Project Objectives
The Lab’s objectives include developing a new narrative for clean energy and climate diplomacy to advance transformative futures, building case studies through experiments, generating a global community of practice, and co-creating a programme of short-, medium-, and long-term actions. It serves as a response to the contested nature of sustainability transitions, offering guidance and tools for creating experimental spaces and managing transformative projects in an iterative process.
Expected Outcomes
- Enhanced Multilateral Influence
The project will strengthen understanding of BRICS narratives on climate and just transition agenda influence in global forums like the UNFCCC, G20, and WTO, investigating pros and cons of a unified/aligned energy and climate negotiation position. This will ensure that developing countries’ interests are better represented, promoting equitable global climate governance with a progressive energy transition and renewable energy acceleration agenda.
- Systemic Innovations in Climate and Just Transition Policies
By developing and testing transformative theories of change, the project will innovate strategic climate and energy policy options within BRICS countries. Mapping systemic leverage points and creating policy prototypes will facilitate the possibility landscape for transition to sustainable energy systems, balancing economic and social development with emission reductions.
- Strengthened BRICS Knowledge Community
Establishing a robust BRICS knowledge community will be a key long-term impact, leveraging existing relationships and incorporating new members. This dynamic network of policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders will drive sustained progress on climate and just transition agendas by facilitating continuous knowledge exchange and collaborative research through the Transformative Energy & Climate Futures Policy Innovation Lab (TECF-PIL).
- Increased Capacity for Anticipatory Governance
Policymakers will be better equipped to foresee and respond to emerging climate challenges, fostering resilience and adaptability in navigating the global energy transition.
SAIIA will collaborate with several research institutions in BRICS countries through relationships established under past and current projects. These include national BRICS academic focal points. SAIIA has existing relationships with research institutions engaged in BRICS research, including the BRICS Policy Centre (Brazil) and the Institute of South-South Cooperation at Peking University, China. These engagements will also include leveraging existing relationships and new partnership outreach in new BRICS countries.
Research Papers
- A Systemic Understanding of the African Union Renewable Energy-led Industrialisation Ecosystem
- BRICS Energy Diplomacy and Climate Transitions
