Exploring South Africa's Leadership Potential in Climate Change Discourse in Africa

Evidence has shown that Africa, despite being the hardest-hit continent by the catastrophic effects of climate change, wields a relatively minimal influence in the ongoing global climate change debates. The inadequacy of influence is due to insufficient leadership from Africa in the global climate change negotiations. To mend this leadership challenge, South Africa has been identified as having significant potentials to lead African climate change discourse, especially, towards wielding a greater influence in the ongoing global climate change discourse. The purpose of this research therefore, is to explore the factors that qualify South Africa as a prospective leader in African climate change discourse. The study employed Underdal’s leadership perspective to analyze South Africa’s climate change actions, both domestically and globally. The study shows that though South Africa might have the challenge of being mistrusted by its fellow African countries, yet; it still presents huge opportunities of providing structural, entrepreneurial, and directional leadership in climate change discourse in Africa. Through the research, it is suggested that to strengthen trust and improve its leadership prospects, South Africa needs to build more climate change actions coalitions with its fellow African countries.  

Table of Contents

 Declaration of Plagiarism ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..……..i Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..ii

 Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….iii 

Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

iv List of Figures and Tables……………………….………………………………………………………………………………………..

.vii List of Acronyms…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..…viii 

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY .................................................................... 1 

1.1  Introductory Remarks ................................................................................................................... 1 

1.5  Research Questions ....................................................................................................................... 9 

1.6  Research Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 9 

1.7  Broader Issues to be investigated ................................................................................................ 10 

1.3  Rationale for the Study ............................................................................................................... 11 

1.4  Significance of the Study ............................................................................................................ 12

 1.8  Research Methodology ............................................................................................................... 12 

1.9  Limitations of the Study .............................................................................................................. 13 

1.10  Structure of the Dissertation ....................................................................................................... 13 

CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................................ 15 

LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................................... 15

 2.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 15 

2.2  Conceptualizing Climate Change ................................................................................................ 15 

2.3   Climate Change Disaster in Africa ............................................................................................ 20 

2.4  Africa’s Participation in Global Climate Change Discourse ...................................................... 24 

2.5  Leadership Theory ...................................................................................................................... 26 

2.6  South Africa’s Involvement in Climate Change Discourse in Africa ......................................... 28

 2.7  South Africa’s Prospects of Climate Change Leadership in Africa ............................................ 32

 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................... 34 

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .............................................................................................................. 34 

3.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 34 

3.2  Evolution of Leadership Theory ................................................................................................. 34 

v  3.3  Underdal’s Conceptualization of Leadership .............................................................................. 36 

3.4  The Three Mechanisms of Leadership ........................................................................................ 36 

3.4.1  Directional Leadership: ....................................................................................................... 38 

3.4.2  Structural Leadership: ......................................................................................................... 39 3.4.3  Entrepreneurial Leadership ................................................................................................. 40 

3.5  Conditions Necessary for Leadership ......................................................................................... 41 

3.6  Supply and Demand sides of Leadership .................................................................................... 42 

3.7  Application of Leadership theory to the Study ........................................................................... 43 

3.8  Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 44 

CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................................................... 45

 SOUTH AFRICA’S POLICIES, STRATEGIES, AND ACTIONS TOWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION ........................................................................................................ 45 

4.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 45 

4.2  South Africa’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution ................................................... 46 

4.2.1  Mitigation Policies of the INDC ............................................................................................. 51 

4.3   National Development Plan ....................................................................................................... 53 

4.4  South Africa’s Climate Change Response Strategy .................................................................... 56 

4.4.1  Adaptation Strategy............................................................................................................. 58 

4.4.2  Mitigation Strategy ............................................................................................................. 60 

4.5  Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 62 

CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................................ 64 

GLOBAL RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE ............................................................ 64 

5.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 64 

5.2  Development, Objectives, and Principles of the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change ....................................................................................................................................... 65 

5.3  The Kyoto Protocol ..................................................................................................................... 66 

5.3.1  The Concept of the Emission Trading Mechanism ............................................................. 67 

5.3.2  The Concept of Clean Development Mechanism ............................................................... 68 

5.3.3  The Principle of Joint Implementation ................................................................................ 69 

5.4  The Durban Climate Change Summit ......................................................................................... 70 

5.5  Copenhagen Climate Summit ..................................................................................................... 74 

5.6  South Africa in Copenhagen 2009 .............................................................................................. 79

 5.7  The Paris Climate Change Agreement ........................................................................................ 83 

vi  5.8  Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 86 

CHAPTER SIX ........................................................................................................................................... 87 

SOUTH AFRICN LEADERSHIP AND IN CLIMATE CHANGE DISCOURSE .................................... 87 

6.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 87 

6.2  South Africa as a Structural Leader in Climate Change Negotiations ........................................ 87 

6.3  South Africa as a Directional Climate Change Leader ............................................................... 90 

6.4  South Africa as an Entrepreneurial Climate Change Leader in Africa ....................................... 96 

6.5  Is South Africa’s Climate Change Leadership Demanded in Africa? ...................................... 101 

6.6  Challenges to South Africa Climate Change Leadership in Africa .......................................... 102 

6.7  Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 103 

CHAPTER SEVEN .................................................................................................................................. 104 

SUMMARY AND GENERAL CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY ......................................................... 104 

7.1  Summary ................................................................................................................................... 104 

7.2  General Conclusion and Recommendations ............................................................................. 107

BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................................... 111