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BRICS and the Just Transition: Partnerships between South Africa and Brazil

Contributing towards shaping a Global South economic cooperation agenda that supports green growth, development and a just transition in targeted countries and in global economic governance forums.

In partnership with the South African BRICS Think Tank and the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) has initiated a research project entitled “BRICS Shaping Economic Cooperation for Green Growth, Development and the Just Transition: Partnership between Brazil and South Africa”. 

The objective of the project is to contribute towards shaping a Global South economic cooperation agenda that supports green growth, development and a just transition in targeted countries and in global economic governance forums. This will be achieved through research, policy dialogues, network development and capacity building activities centred on Brazil’s and South Africa’s approaches to the Just Transition.  

A study of Brazil and South Africa can provide important shared learnings regarding the interconnectedness of climate change responses with other instruments relating to trade, technology, social protection and financing. Such learnings are relevant for how BRICS and other developing countries shape their own transitions to a new economic and social paradigm, as well as how they engage and help shape transforming the global climate and economic governance architecture.

Over the next two years, BRICS countries will be chairing the G20, a grouping regarded as the premier forum on global economic governance. India chairs the G20 2023 and Brazil will follow in 2024 and South Africa in 2025. South Africa chairs the BRICS in 2023 and will be followed by Brazil. Their leadership roles in the G20 and BRICS create an opportunity for deep coordination between them regarding the specific agendas of each of the groupings, also considering that the BRICS is an important caucus within the G20. This project is designed to take advantage of this alignment of presidencies to focus on climate change and related economic cooperation.

The project will focus on four key themes: 

  • Strengthening the multilateral trade system for green growth and development: South Africa and Brazil within the WTO.
  • Climate finance for green growth and development.
  • Managing a Just Transition: Reskilling of affected communities in the fossil fuel intensive sector. 
  • Technology for green growth and industrialisation. 

Among the project outputs will be the following: 

  • A Brazil-South Africa climate and just transition dialogue platform to contribute towards a community of practice focused on the green growth, economic cooperation and development concerns of the Global South. 
  • A series of working papers on each of the project themes.  
  • An edited volume. 
  • A foresight workshop that will explore the trajectory for the development of a Global South-friendly climate governance architecture through enhanced BRICS economic cooperation. 

The project will support the appointment of a South African research fellow, who will complete the fellowship at SAIIA and the project’s Brazilian partner institute, the Institute of Applied Economic Research / Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (IPEA).

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Timelines

Start Date: 1 Nov 2022
End date: 31 Oct 2024

Project Donor/s

South African BRICS Think Tank (SABTT)

The objective of the SA BRICS Think Tank is to provide a platform for researchers and academics to exchange ideas and generate evidence-based policy recommendations. The SABTT aim to shape the strategic vision of South Africa and Africa around global financial, economic and governance issues to provide research-based technical and institutional support to the South African government around relevant BRICS related public policies and development.

National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS)

The National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) advances and co-ordinates scholarship, research and ethical practice in the fields of Humanities and the Social Sciences within and through the public universities. The role of the NIHSS is to broadly enhance and support the humanities and social sciences in South Africa and beyond, as well as to advise government and civil society on related matters.

Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)

The Department of Higher Education and Training is a national department of the Government of South Africa with a mandate to focus on post-school education and training. The vision of the department is to provide an integrate and coordinated post school education system to improve the economic participation and social development of youth and adults.

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The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) is an independent public policy think tank advancing a well governed, peaceful, economically sustainable and globally engaged Africa.

Tel: +27 (0)11 339-2021 | info@saiia.org.za

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