Presently, South Africa’s economy is energy intensive and is designed around large-scale usage of fossil fuels making it one of the world’s highest emitters of greenhouse gases. The move to a low carbon economy is essential in ensuring the retardation of ecological and environmental degradation. However, transitioning to a low carbon economy requires modification of the current structure of the political economy to guarantee a just and seamless transition, bearing in mind improving human well-being and social equity. Further, it is important that the transition caters for displacement that might arise due to a shift from fossil fuel production towards sustainable methods of production.

Attendees at the roundtable will include a range of stakeholders including, inter alia, academics, business, government and science councils.

The objective of the roundtable is to probe the following factors:

• Progress and practicality of a transition to a low-carbon economy
• The preparedness of the various stakeholders for a transition to a low-carbon economy and how it will be funded
• The role of black industrialists in the transition
• Gender parity in creation of green jobs
• Identifying specific issues that require immediate action on the part of stakeholders

MISTRA hopes that, by addressing these questions, a co-operative platform could be developed in which the long-term sustainability, ecological, socio-economic and political interests of the country are fulfilled.  The roundtable will be conducted as an open and candid conversation amongst the participants and stakeholders.