Impact Policy Tracker Policy

Just Energy Transition Partnership – South Africa



The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in South Africa was launched at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 as a flagship international initiative to support the country’s transition away from a coal-dependent energy system, while safeguarding jobs, livelihoods, and communities affected by this shift.

The JETP was established between the Government of South Africa and its International Partners Group (IPG), initially comprising France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, and subsequently expanded to include Denmark and the Netherlands. Additional financial commitments were made by Canada, Spain, and Switzerland outside the formal IPG structure. At launch, partners pledged an initial USD 8.5 billion to support South Africa’s transition over a 3–5 year period, combining grants, concessional finance, and risk-sharing instruments to accelerate decarbonisation while preserving energy security.

South Africa provides a critical test case for this model. The country is among the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters - often ranked within the top 15 globally, with some estimates placing it around 12th - and its energy system remains structurally reliant on coal. Against this backdrop, the JETP seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously creating new economic opportunities in the renewable energy sector and ensuring that affected regions and communities receive the social and economic support required for a just transition. In 2023, South Africa operationalised the partnership through the publication of its Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) and subsequent implementation roadmap. The plan sets out a five-year investment strategy focused on balancing decarbonisation, economic growth, and energy security, aligned with nationally defined just transition principles.



Highlights

  • JETPs as a scalable model to deliver climate finance to developing countries: Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) represent an innovative and increasingly scalable model of international cooperation to deliver climate finance to developing and emerging economies. Designed as multilateral platforms that combine financial support and capacity building, JETPs align concessional public finance, private capital, and nationally led transition plans to accelerate the shift toward low-carbon energy systems. The replicability of the JETP model is evidenced by its rapid expansion. Following the launch of the first partnership in South Africa in 2021, JETPs were established in Indonesia and Vietnam in 2022, mobilising USD 20 billion and USD 15 billion respectively. In 2023, a fourth JETP was announced for Senegal, further demonstrating the model’s adaptability across diverse country contexts and development priorities.

  • Bridging Global Climate Commitments and National Transition Plans: Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) illustrate the potential of long-term, multi-stakeholder partnerships to deliver international climate commitments while remaining firmly anchored in nationally defined development priorities. Dedicated JETP secretariats act as interlocutors between international financiers and national authorities, aligning project pipelines with existing national energy and development strategies, such as Indonesia’s PLN RUPTL and Vietnam’s Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8). This institutional architecture enables international resources to be deployed not only to advance global decarbonisation goals, but also to support the achievement of national priorities in a way that is sensitive to local economic, social, and political contexts.

Government’s Role:
Market Facilitator


Country:
South Africa

Policy Type:
Multi-stakeholder Platforms

Year: 2021

Responsible Institution:
The Government of South Africa, together with the International Partners Group (IPG), a coalition of donor governments including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Denmark, and the Netherlands

Additional information:
The Just Energy Transition Partnership Crossroads
Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with South Africa
Just Energy Transition Partnership grants and country platforms: Lessons from Indonesia and South Africa

Multi-stakeholder Platforms

Multi-stakeholder platforms are public–private partnerships that bring together governments, development institutions, and private investors to mobilise capital at scale in support of shared social, environmental, or development objectives. They often serve as vehicles for international cooperation, particularly between developed economies and emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), aligning concessional public finance, private capital, and national priorities. By coordinating actors and standardising approaches, these platforms help build and strengthen local investment pipelines, overcome structural financing barriers, and enable the deployment of large-scale, mission-driven investment.