The concept of a just transition has entered the mainstream of climate discourse over the past decade, yet its practical meaning remains contested. Too often, the term is applied to top-down reforms that are technocratic in design and distant from the lived experiences of the people they are meant to serve.

In Africa, where 600 million people still lack access to electricity and youth unemployment in some countries exceeds 60% (AfDB, 2022), the stakes are particularly high. The transition away from fossil fuels and toward a low-carbon economy carries both the risk of exacerbating poverty and inequality, and the opportunity to create a more resilient and inclusive future. The Shaping Inclusive Transitions (SIT) initiative, co-led by the African Centre for a Green Economy (AfriCGE) and the Southern Africa Trust (SAT), is an emerging platform that seeks to bridge the divide between high level policy frameworks and grassroots realities. Its core proposition is simple yet transformative: put communities at the centre of Africa’s just transition. The SIT model emphasizes par t i c ipator y governance, locally led finance, and the elevation of Indigenous and local knowledge systems as essential ingredients for a fair and lasting transformation (ILO, 2015)

Why Community Centred Transitions Matter

Transitions designed in boardrooms and capital cities often fail to resonate with or benefit the communities that bear the brunt of economic and ecological change. In South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, for instance, coal mining employs over 90,000 workers and underpins 83% of national coal production, yet the region suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the world and high levels of poverty (CIF, 2023). The closure of facilities like the Komati Power Station has highlighted a painful truth: without proactive planning, communities are left stranded, economically, socially, and environmentally.

Conversely, there is compelling evidence that community-led approaches work. In Zimbabwe, agroecology initiatives and seed-saving cooperatives have improved food security, preserved biodiversity, and empowered women farmers (UNECA, 2021). In South Africa, women-led enterprises such as Lamo Fuel are creating green jobs and skills pipelines in the biofuel sector. These examples demonstrate that when communities are empowered with resources, decision-making power, and recognition, they can drive innovation and sustainability far beyond what externally imposed models achieve.

From Concept to Framework: How SIT Works

To translate its vision into action, SIT has developed a framework model that maps the journey from inputs to impact. The model is grounded in three foundational pillars, each with distinct but interconnected mechanisms for delivery.

1. Participatory Governance

This pillar focuses on embedding community voices in formal decision-making. Mechanisms include local transition councils, the application of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles, and co-design processes that ensure policies and plans reflect local priorities. Accountability is built in through regular feedback loops and public reporting (ILO, 2015).

2. Locally Led Finance

Even when large climate finance packages are announced, such as the US$13.8 billion pledged under South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), very little reaches grassroots actors (CIF, 2023). SIT advocates for decentralized small-grant windows, caps on intermediary fees, and transparent disbursement processes. The aim is to simplify access to funding for community-based organizations and cooperatives while maintaining rigorous accountability (WRI, 2023).

3. Knowledge and Narrative Power

Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and local ecological knowledge are vital to climate adaptation, yet they are often marginalized in official strategies. This pillar seeks to integrate IKS into education, climate adaptation plans, and governance processes. It also invests in storytelling platforms, community radio, and partnerships between universities and traditional leaders to preserve and transmit local knowledge.

Mechanisms for Change

To operationalise these pillars, SIT deploys three key mechanisms. Transition Hubs act as locally anchored platforms that facilitate planning, skills training, and enterprise incubation. They bring together community members, local government, private sector actors, and NGOs to co-develop transition plans.

Feminist & Youth Windows are dedicated funding streams and programmes targeting women and young people, with a focus on green skills development, cooperative enterprises, and leadership training. These address the gender and generational imbalances in both climate action and governance structures.

Finally, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems, paired with open dashboards, provide participatory tools that enable communities to track progress, audit projects, and feed evidence back into policy reform. Transparency is treated as a non negotiable standard.

The Results Chain: From Outputs to Impact

The SIT framework follows a results chain that begins with clear, tangible outputs: co-designed transition plans, funded community projects, and documented Indigenous knowledge and stories. These lead to medium-term outcomes over 2–5 years, such as the creation of green jobs, improved energy access, enhanced resilience to climate shocks, and strengthened trust between citizens and institutions.

In the longer term, over 5–10 years, the goal is to achieve a just, inclusive low-carbon development pathway where communities are not only beneficiaries but co-architects of the transition. This reframes success away from purely technical or emissions-based metrics, toward social outcomes like livelihoods secured, inequalities narrowed, and cultural heritage preserved.

Closing the Gap: Addressing Structural Barriers

While the SIT model is aspirational, it is also pragmatic about the barriers that need to be addressed. These include technocratic planning cultures that exclude local perspectives, centralized finance structures that trap funds in bureaucracy, the marginalization of IKS and informal workers, and siloed sectoral approaches that prevent integrated solutions.

Policy Recommendations Emerging from SIT

From its launch dialogue and initial consultations, SIT has distilled five policy recommendations: establish Community Transition Hubs; mandate grassroots representation in governance; reform climate finance delivery; fund feminist and youth-led solutions; and mainstream Indigenous Knowledge into policy frameworks (AfDB, 2022).

A Call to Action

Africa’s just transition is not a distant horizon, it is happening now, and the next five years will be decisive. The continent cannot afford to replicate extractive development patterns where decisions are made elsewhere and benefits bypass those most in need. The SIT framework offers a path forward that is both principled and practical. By investing in participatory governance, locally led finance, and knowledge and narrative power, Africa can build a low-carbon economy that is inclusive, resilient, and culturally grounded.

References

• International Labour Organization (ILO). (2015). Guidelines for a Just Transition towards Environmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies for All. Geneva: ILO.
• African Development Bank (AfDB). (2022). African Economic Outlook 2022: Supporting Climate Resilience and a Just Energy Transition in Africa. Abidjan: AfDB.
• Climate Investment Funds (CIF). (2023). Just Transition in South Africa: Insights from the Accelerating Coal Transition Investment Plan. Washington, DC: CIF.
• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). (2021). Building Forward for an African Green Recovery: Towards Inclusive and Resilient Economies. Addis Ababa: UNECA.
• World Resources Institute (WRI). (2023). Making Climate Finance Work for Local Communities: Lessons from Global South Initiatives. Washington, DC: WRI. 12