Energy Governance

Renewable Energy

The Green Connection advocates for renewable energy which supports socio-economic development.

Impacts of Coal Energy

The Green Connection has worked with groundwork, investigating health impacts of coal.

Empowering Women

The Green Connection attended and helped develop training material for a workshop on women’s rights.

Affordable Electricity

Production of a report on the impacts of Biofuel in the poor and former homelands.

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Energy Governance

The Green Connection is part of various South African initiatives which promote a transition to a just energy future, including advocating and researching sustainable energy in South Africa: The Green Connection is a WRI partner in South Africa, is a South African partner of EGI international, and is part of the Electricity Governance –South Africa. The Green Connection is part of the one million climate jobs hosted by AIDC. THE ELECTRICITY GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE (EGI) is a collaborative global initiative of civil society, policymakers, regulators, and other electricity sector actors to promote the open, transparent, and accountable decision-making processes that are a necessary part of a socially and environmentally sustainable energy future. The Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI) is an international project coordinated by the World Resources Institute (WRI) of USA and the Prayas Energy Group of India. The major focus is on the governance of the electricity sector in a number of developing countries. These include Philippines, Brazil, Mongolia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. Energy Governance South Africa (EGSA) is a network of civil society organisations dedicated to promoting transparent, inclusive and accountable decision-making in the energy sector.

Renewable Energy

The Green Connection advocates for renewable energy which supports socio-economic development.

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  • The Green Connection assisted partners in reviewing the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPP) in 2014 and again in 2017 (EGI RE14P review 2014 Final).
  • The Green Connection has researched the price of electricity and its impact on consumers: Informative Documents compiled for the  Smart Electricity Workshops, The Smart Electricity Brochure and participated in the NERSA Public Hearings.
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  • The Green Connection, in partnership with AIDC, was involved in the development of the report, Where are the jobs?
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  • The South African Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme has been very successful in ensuring that renewable energy has been included into the energy mix of country. A proportion of energy project income was to be directed towards socio-economic development, and communities was required to hold a certain portion of ownership. This report reviews how the socio-economic aspects of the projects have been implemented and concludes that there are various unintended consequences that have undermined the ability of the programme to deliver on its promises.
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  • The Green Connection undertook research into an alternative energy future for South Africa in collaboration with 350.org and the Bank Information centre (BIC) in 2010, which reviewed renewable energy internationally and locally and put forward recommendations to improve energy planning process.  An Alternative Energy vision for South Africa. The report provides ideas of how we could meet our energy needs for the future using energy wisely, and focusing on renewable energy as our future electricity supply. The approach used in producing these reports is to draw on local examples that demonstrate success. The Decentralised approach to energy supply Report was produced as part of input into the World Bank Energy Strategy
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  • The Green Connection was involved in developing the Oxfam discussion paper, You cant eat Electricity.

Impact Of Coal Energy

The Green Connection has worked with our partner, groundwork, investigating the health impacts of coal (The Health Impact of Coal Report). The report discusses the responsibility that coal-fired power stations bear for ambient air quality associated health impacts. Several media pieces can be accessed here:

Eskom Killing Us Softly,

Local documentary receives international acclaim,

The Bliss of Ignorance,

Standing Up to Hazardous Waste Dumping in South Africa.

Empowering Women

The Green Connection attended and helped develop training material for a workshop on women’s rights run by an organisation that works with women and mining, called WOMIN. Liz McDaid worked with WOMIN specifically to develop resource materials on renewable energy, energy justice and promotion of energy security for women.

Biofuel

The Green Connection was contracted by SPP and Oxfam in 2011 to investigate and produce a report on the potential impacts of the South African Industrial Biofuel Strategy on the poor rural communities of the former homelands.