A critical analysis of green economic policies in South Africa

Abstract

Contemporary capitalism and the neoliberal discourse it often perpetuates have, over the past few decades, led humanity to experience many different systemic crises. This dissertation will be aimed at highlighting one systemic crisis that threatens to annihilate humanity's very existence - the climate crisis. Although the recognition of pressing ecological concerns is becoming more conventional (outside of the environmental sciences realm), the global response to the climate crisis thus far remains vastly inadequate, and a general sense of urgency regarding rapid and extensive climate change mitigation is sorely lacking. Both nationally and internationally, more can be done in relaying how crucial it is for all countries, developed or developing, to break ground on this issue, and address it accordingly - which is what this dissertation intends to do. The main aim of this dissertation, therefore, is to further investigate and highlight this issue by analysing South Africa's green economic policy response to the climate crisis. Research on this particular topic is crucial, not only in a broader sense to mitigate the climate crisis, but also to initiate important dialogues on the matter within the South African policymaking sphere.