ROUNDTABLE: SA Presidential Climate Commission - What More is Needed?

The PCC's primary purpose is to oversee and facilitate a just and equitable transition towards low emissions, low carbon and a climate resilient SA economy and society. As a statutory creation of the President, stakeholders include government, business, labour, civil society and academia.

The PCC has become a leader in policy analysis, stakeholder consultations and managing a politically fraught and complex Just Energy Transition (JET).  As Executive Director, Dr Olver focuses on climate finance, mitigation and adaptation.

We are delighted to have Dr Olver in London, working with the Chamber and interacting with members to discuss the South African Just Energy Transition, the idiosyncratic impact of climate change and climate policy in South Africa, the role of Eskom and other large emitters and the processes ongoing around them, as well as the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) with the UK and other foreign governments. South Africa’s JET programme is complicated by the country’s longstanding coal dependence, high unemployment, the impact of the pandemic, limited resources, communication challenges and slow progress towards its goals.

South Africa’s national dialogue on JET is one of the most advanced in the world, with South Africa being the only country to mention a just transition in its initial Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2015.  

There will be an opportunity to ask questions and to network with fellow members.

Tickets are free to members, £30pp for non-members. Capacity is very limited so please book and pay (if required) now to secure your place. Priority will be given to online bookings, and bookings will only be final once payment is received.

Dr Olver will also be joining us for a presentation and networking evening on 5th September, at 18h00. If you would like to join us then, please click here to make your booking.

About Dr Crispian Olver

Crispian is the Executive Director of the Presidential Climate Commission, an ex-officio member responsible for running the Secretariat of the PCC and its various policy and research programmes. He has served in the South African government in various capacities, including as Director General of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (1999 – 2005), in which position he crafted much of the climate policy and environmental legislation, as well as leading South Africa’s hosting of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002).

Crispian has a deep interest in local governance issues, starting with his work on community land, housing and development issues in the 1980s, and as an author explores the mechanics by which regimes are governed and the way in which good governance can be eroded. His first book titled ‘How to Steal a City’ (2017) documented patronage based systems in Nelson Mandela Bay and how the metro was captured by factional interests. His subsequent book, ‘A House Divided’, published in October 2019, documented the nature of the relationship between the City of Cape Town and landed property interests, and how this fuelled a factional split in the DA.

Crispian is a medical doctor by training and holds BSc (Med) (1983), Psychology Honours (1984) and MBChB (1988) degrees from UCT. He has a PhD from WITS and is a research fellow at the Public Affairs Research Institute.