This paper examines power relations, coalitions and conflicts that drive and hinder institutional change in South African climate policy. The analysis finds that the most contested climate policies are those that create distributional conflicts where powerful, non-poor actors will potentially experience real losses to their fossil fuel-based operations. This finding opposes the assumption of competing objectives between emissions and poverty reduction. Yet, actors use discourse that relates to potentially competing objectives between emissions reductions, jobs, poverty reduction and economic welfare.
The analysis relates to the broader questions on how to address public policy problems that affect the two objectives of mitigating climate change and simultaneously boosting socio-economic development. South Africa is a middle-income country that represents the challenge of accommodating simultaneous efforts for emissions and poverty reduction.
Institutional change has been constrained especially in the process towards establishing climate budgets and a carbon tax. The opposing coalitions have succeeded in delaying the implementation of these processes, as a result of unequal power relations. Institutional change in South African climate policy can be predominantly characterized as layering with elements of policy innovation. New policies build on existing regulations in all three cases of climate policy examined: the climate change response white paper, the carbon tax and the renewable energy programme. Unbalanced power relations between coalitions of support in government and civil society and opposition mainly from the affected industry result in very fragile institutional change.
Key policy insights
The South African government has managed to drive institutional change in climate policy significantly over the past 7 years.
Powerful coalitions of coal-related industries and their lobbies have constrained institutional change and managed to delay the implementation of carbon pricing measures.
A successfully managed renewable energy programme has started to transform a coal- and nuclear-powered electricity sector towards integrating sustainable energy technologies. The programme is vulnerable to intergovernmental opposition and requires management at the highest political levels.
Potential conflict with poverty reduction measures is not a major concern that actively hinders institutional change towards climate objectives. Predominantly non-poor actors frequently use poverty-related discourse to elevate their interests to issues of public concern.
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To realize efficient and sustainable poverty alleviation,this study firstly investigated the identification of multidimensional poverty and relative poverty,and then explored relevant poverty alleviation pathways.Poverty levels in 31 provinces including the autonomous re-gions and municipalities of China were identified at the county level using the average nighttime light index (ANLI),county multidimensional development index (CMDI),and a method combining multidimensional poverty index and relative poverty standards.Poverty alleviation pathways for poverty-stricken counties were explored from the aspects of industry,education,tourism and agriculture.The results revealed that nearly 60％ of counties in China were primarily under relative poverty,most of which were corresponded to light relative pov-erty.In terms of ANLI and CMDI,63％ and 79％ of the national poverty-stricken counties,as of 2018,could be identified,suggesting that CMDI had a higher performance for identifying poverty at the county level.In terms of poverty alleviation pathways,414,172,442,and 298 poverty-stricken counties were receptive to industry poverty alleviation,education poverty alleviation,tourism poverty alleviation,and agriculture poverty alleviation,and 61％ of coun-ties had more poverty-causing factors,implying that multidimensional poverty alleviation is suitable in most of the counties. 相似文献
