Sustainable Development

Photo by Gillian Benjamin

Introduction

The World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) better known as the Brundtland Commission, defined sustainable development as:

“Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

While sustainable development has been widely accepted as the most appropriate development paradigm, there are still some difficulties with its implementation. Southern Africa is still faced with environmental challenges such as: climate variability and climate change, desertification and land degradation,  threats to freshwater resources and to biodiversity.

The  Sustainable Development Programme of the HBS in the region will work  in the areas of climate change and biopolitics. We will work to make policy-makers, decision-makers and other stakeholders realise that it is only when sustainable development principles are taken into account in regional policy and practice that the problems idenfied above will begin to be addressed.

For more information, please contact Kulthoum Omari, Sustainable Development Programme Manager at Kulthoum.Omari'at'za.boell.org or Tigere Chagutah, Climate Governance in Africa Programme Manager at Tigere.Chagutah'at'za.boell.org.

Climate Change

STUDY

Powering Africa Through Feed-In Tariffs

March 20, 2013 - The Heinrich Böll Stiftung and the World Future Council commissioned a comprehensive study to assess the existing and drafted REFiT policies in 13 African countries with the aim of examining the policy drivers and socio-economic effects of REFiTs and analyse both supportive and obstructive factors for their effective implementation. The study shows that, REFiTs are a promising mechanism to unlock renewable energy development in Africa. more»

REPORT

Towards a Framework for National Climate Finance Governance in Africa

- January 25, 2013 -

The central ambition of this paper is to offer a framework for the appropriate climate finance architecture, one that identifies the key elements for a national set of institutional arrangements, and that would in its design serve to foster improved access and efficient, cost-effective, transparent, accountable, and equitable utilisation of climate finance by countries in Africa.  

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WEB RESOURCE

The German Energy Transition

- January 10, 2013 - Germany has drawn a lot of attention for the Energiewende - the aim to switch to a renewable energy economy, phase out nuclear power and leave fossil fuels behind. But what exactly is the German energy transition: How does it work and what challenges lie ahead? A new website seeks to answer these and related questions more>>

ANALYSIS

Renewables in South Africa: The Need for a Developmental Case

- December 10, 2012 -  In contrast to Germany, environmental questions are not yet a voting issue in South Africa. However, providing greater access to energy is a high priority. What can a developing country take away from Germany’s experiences? What are the chances of South Africa taking a leading role in Africa’s Energiewende? By Emily Tyler more»

STUDY

Climate Governance and Development in Africa

- September 4, 2012 -

Climate change is increasingly recognized as a developmental challenge in Africa, however, development planning in many African countries is still done in silos, and without due consideration of climate change. Two case studies from Namibia and Tanzania provide an analysis of the institutional, financial and political barriers to the integration of climate change in development.

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PUBLICATION

Climate Governance in Africa - Adaptation Strategies and Institutions

- Our four Africa offices commissioned studies to evaluate the state of preparedness for climate change adaptation in seven African countries. What are the impacts of and vulnerabilities to climate change in Africa? To what extent do existing adaptation policies, strategies and plans respond to the vulnerabilities identified? By Masego Madzwamuse more»

ANALYSIS

Climate Policy in 2010: One Step Forward and Two Sideward

- The year 2010 offered mixed results concerning global climate policy, with serious setbacks as well as some small victories. This publication offers regional analysis of climate policy in 2010 and the UN climate conference in Cancun (COP 16). more»

DOSSIER

Energy Policy in South Africa

- This dossier sheds light on the current state of energy policy in South Africa. It examines three inter-related issues: the possibility of a low-carbon future, the great energy policy disconnect within government, and the prospects for renewable energy in South Africa. more»