The project supports democratic and participatory processes within the renewable energy economy in two provinces in South Africa. It aims at fostering inclusive growth through integrating community-driven development priorities into municipal planning processes. It also seeks to create an environment where Civil Society Organisations can meaningfully engage with and represent their communities amongst government officials and Independent Power Producers.  

To address the challenge that civil society faces in climate-related participation and decision-making, without negating the crucial work of environmental organisations, the participation of CSOs, in other sectors is important to mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation into community-driven development priorities. This intersectional approach hopes to link the realisation of both social, economic and cultural as well as environmental rights of communities.  

The project also seeks to take advantage of the mandatory Social Economic Development spend by the independent power producers, which presents an additional opportunity for civil society actors to become involved in defining how this money can be spent for maximum impact and how it can be used to link climate change mitigation (from renewable energy production) to the adaptation priorities of communities. 

The project will strengthen the capacity of Civil Society Organisations to understand how climate change impacts their work firstly and, secondly, how they can represent their views to decision-makers and investors. The project will also work with local governing employees in the Northern Cape and Western Cape to deploy interventions that foster inclusive growth through climate change. Lastly, the project will establish an Information Steering Committee where climate change champions can increase the coordination of related activities and conduct participatory action research.