The latest edition of Amandla is out!

Issue 85/86 of Amandla magazine has a special feature on the Just Transition.

Highlights of some of the articles:

• According to Andile Zulu, AIDC Energy Democracy Officer, South Africa’s climate finance deals, and its current vision for a “just transition”, will entail the surrender of economic sovereignty and only exacerbate the burden of foreign debt. He argues that to protect the environment, adapt to climate change and ensure the socio-economic well-being of fossil-fuel industry workers, the transition to renewable energy and a low-carbon economy must be planned and coordinated by the state.
• Professor Sean Sweeney, Director of Trade Unions for Energy Democracy shares the same sentiments as Zulu. According to Prof Sweeney, South Africa is expected to borrow money to reduce its coal use and then carry the burden of social costs. He says any policy that requires South Africa to incur more debt and fire workers is not “just,” especially when the result is intended to produce a “global public good” in the form of lower emissions from coal. If reducing coal use is a global public good, why is South Africa financially responsible for its delivery?
• Irene HongPing Shen and Lala Peñaranda also from the Trade Unions for Energy Democracy look at the public 
pathway to a just transition in the Global South. They state that strategies to access the resources needed to finance an energy transition under a public pathway include fighting for debt cancellation, tackling current tax evasion instruments such as “trade mis-invoicing”, and passing a number of other tax reform measures. These could generate billions of dollars and contribute to an alternative narrative to development and decarbonisation in the Global South.
• While Brian Ashley, a member of the Amandla Editorial Collective writes about financing a public pathway to an energy transition. He says we need to develop a perspective and strategy for financing a public pathway to an energy transition that must be capable of addressing energy poverty and climate protection. According to Ashley, the current neoliberal approach to climate finance is based on loans, whether at “concessional” rates or not; and it is reliant on the illusion of development finance unlocking trillions from private investors. It has failed and it will continue to fail.
• And lastly, Energy Policy Research consultant, Brian Kamanzi dissects the decommissioning of the Komati power station. He says what happens to Komati, its workers and the community around it is very significant for the meaning of a “Just Transition” at home and abroad. Kamanzi says we must challenge and highlight every issue we uncover and ensure Komati does not become a ghost town to haunt and hollow out genuine campaigns for Just Transition for decades to come.

For this and more, please download the full magazine below.