Multi-level Climate Governance in South Africa: Catalysing finance for local climate action

This study summarises the important progress South Africa has made in developing its policy and institutional architecture in response to climate change through the lens of multi-level governance and multi-stakeholder climate action. It is written for both policy makers and development practitioners working in South Africa and is based on the four-year project known as V-LED, or Vertical Integration and Learning for Low-Emission Development in Africa and Southeast Asia. From 2015 through 2018, V-LED aimed to stimulate local climate finance and action by rallying ambition and connecting national institutions, provinces, municipalities, communities and businesses. Based on experience gained from this project and additional research, the study analyses climate governance and finance in practice, highlighting encouraging practices and continuing challenges of effective multi-level climate action.