Just energy transitions / civil society
Participation and political economy in just energy transitions
Research for UNDP’s Global Policy Centre for Governance examined how civil-society participation shapes just energy transitions. Evidence from Nigeria and South Africa connected institutional decision-making with procedural and distributional justice, leading to research findings and practical guidance on participation and accountability.
Context and purpose
UNDP’s Global Policy Centre for Governance sought to understand how civil-society participation shapes just energy transitions. Research in Nigeria and South Africa examined who influences decisions and how transition costs and benefits are distributed.
The work
Literature and policy review, key informant interviews and qualitative and quantitative evidence informed governance and political-economy analysis. Work examined incentives, legitimacy, safeguards and implementation risks. Dialogue with government, civil society, financing institutions and development partners supported validation and practical guidance.
Outputs and use
Research findings and guidance for country offices, UN agencies and donors addressed participation, accountability and inclusive programme design. The outputs helped translate analysis into considerations for transition programming rather than claiming achieved transition outcomes.
Further reading
Reports & publications
UNDP / 2025
How Can Participation Deliver Just Energy Transitions? (opens publisher website in a new tab)
Participation and political economy in the transition to cleaner energy systems.