South Africa is one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters because of its dependence on coal for energy production. Ending that dependence and transitioning to a low-carbon scenario will be expensive and extremely disruptive for many communities.
There will be a shifting of power from parts of the country that are dependent on the fossil fuel economy to those that are more suitable for renewable energy production. The road to a Just Energy Transition (JET) will be uneven.
This project will reflect on this unevenness, looking at the social and economic impacts of the transition with data, personal profiles, and vignettes of six key places in South Africa.
The road-trip metaphor is an opportunity to unpack a complex issue in a way that reflects its regional nature. This project is designed specifically to allow for a diversity of voices and perspectives while still being data-based.