About

The African Climate Foundation is inviting proposals for the New Economy Campaigns Hub, a new initiative that partners with organisations campaigning to decarbonise South Africa and building on inclusive low-carbon economy that delivers social security and economic justice.

The African Climate Foundation therefore, strives to offer flexible and movement-generous support to initiatives that ore building movement power and advancing concrete development pathways fora clean and equitable energy future that underpins a new economy and just society in South Africa.

The vision for South Africa is of a society in which justice, fairness and equality are inherently apparent in social and economic relations and Structures. It presupposes a decarbonised economy that delvers decent jobs, improved livelihoods and mitigates social and environmental harm. It is a society in which the generation of energy from renewables and their associated industries delver direct social and economic benefits to society and enhance the state's capability to mitigate inequality, poverty, and unemployment through the comprehensive and equitable delivery of pubic goods and services.

To make this new economy possible, they need new and ambitious ideas to build the social participation infrastructure that South Africa needs to put people at the centre of the decisions and action token to implement the energy transition they deserve. The New Economy Campaigns Hub has allocated resources for grant funding and technical assistance to support initiatives that will contribute to making this vision a reality.

Objectives

• This call has three interrelated objectives which are to:

  • Build the knowledge of transition-affected communities and stakeholders about South Africa's energy transition and how to use it to catalyze a New Economy in South Africa; This may include initiatives, tools, expertise. and supports that:

    • build popular knowledge and leverage local knowledge, languages and skills to equip transition-affected communities and stakeholders to be conversant in energy transition topics, and influence energy transition debates and planning and decision-making processes;

    • build evidence which demonstrates the positive linkages between the decarbonisation of the economy and tangible social and economic development benefits for transition-affected communities and stakeholders;

    • build robust public information ecosystems that support evidence-based debate and dialogue about the tools, resources and institutional arrangements required to advance a just energy transition and build a new economy.

    • bring technical capacity to transition-affected communities and stakeholders to advance their and priorities and/or equip them to directly shape the outcomes of energy transition planning and decision-making processes.

  • Grow movement power among these communities and stakeholders and coordinate action to shape the outcomes of transition debates as well as planning and decision-making processes that can catalyze a new, decarbonised economy; This may include initiatives, tools, expertise. and supports that go towards:

    • strengthening organising capacity, consolidating movement power and coordinating action to shape the outcomes of energy transition debates and planning and decision-making processes;

    • making direct connections between climate justice and socio-economic justice and building propositional campaign platforms that demonstrate how each provides the solution to the other.

  • Amplify the voices, perspectives, and priorities of these communities and stakeholders through direct participation in energy transition planning and decision-making processes, campaigns. and direct action. This may include initiatives, tools. expertise and supports that:

    • mobilise advocates and campaigners for climate action to coordinate and participate in direct action;

    • enhance the ability of advocates and campaigners for climate action to bunch and land persuasive narratives and campaigns for climate action that advances their rights and priorities.

  • The approach is to build a community of campaigners and collaborators who share the values to build strong capability to realize each of these distinct but naturally interconnected objectives. Accordingly, awards will be made in line with the clarity with which proposals communicate under which one of these objectives their initiative is best suited to making an impact.

Thematic Focus

• Although they are not prescriptive about the initiatives applicants should propose or the themes they should respond to. they must be rooted in advancing practical, positive, and ambitious climate action for people and planet on tai terms. They should lead them to solving the challenges impeding South Africa's energy transition from being a just and equitable one and propose tangible and actionable pathways for leveraging it to build a new economy that puts people at its centre.

• They are especially excited about receiving proposals to support initiatives engaged with the following themes:

  • Enhanced Climate Finance - this could include initiatives that:

    • build local demand for improved climate financing on more favourable terms without adversely impacting social protections provided by the state;

    • refocus local and international climate investment in South Africa from only focusing on mitigation to include adaptation and resilience;

    • enhance social participation in the allocation and management of investments by local and international development finance institutions;

    • strengthen connections and coordination with international campaigns and platforms for action to reconstruct the architecture of the global financial system itself.

  • Green Decent Jobs - this could include initiatives that:

    • strengthen local demand for trade and industrial policy action that delivers decent and stable work in socially and environmentally sustainable industries;

    • mobilise and amplify local demand for enhanced investment in skiing, reskilling, and upskilling programs for workers in the cool value-chain, women, and young people;

    • ground the tangible vision of green economic growth opportunities and development beyond the formal economy.

  • Ending Energy Poverty - this could include initiatives that:

    • mobilise and amplify local demand for the mainstreaming of clean, affordable, and reliable energy for low-income households and communities;

    • develop an actionable moral and economic case for investment in decentralised and socially owned renewable energy production models;

    • strengthen municipal capability to deliver access to clean, affordable and reliable energy.

Funding Information

• They are inviting proposals from eligible organisations for awards of between ZAR 250,000.00 and ZAR 750,000.00 for on implementation period not exceeding 12-months.

Eligibility

• Any organisation/project selected for funding must meet the following criteria and be able to furnish supporting records:

  • be a non-partisan nongovernmental organization;

  • have been operational for a minimum of three years;

  • demonstrate past success working to advance human and environmental rights, media freedom, social and economic development;

  • be a registered South African or African non-governmental organisation working in South Mica, and legally competent;

  • have a functional board of directors or similar governance structure;

  • be able to demonstrate an ability to account for and provide independent audits for use of funds;

  • be able to demonstrate an ability to clearly and reliably monitor, evaluate, and report on the implementation of the project and learnings.

• Where an applicant is unable to meet any of the criteria listed they are still welcome to apply on the condition that they are able to nominate a fiscal host that does, and which undertakes to take responsibility for and has the demonstrable capacity to ensure the successful implementation of the project, including accounting for the use of funds.

Post Date: August 21, 2023