There are many unknowns about how societies will manage the climate transition. And the associated energy transition from fossil fuel-based energy to renewable energy.
The climate transition will require significant levels of investment - estimated at US$1 trillion (R18,5 trillion) a year in developing markets, excluding China. This raises important questions about the mix of public and private sector investments; whether to subsidise private sector investment; how to regulate private ownership; and how to make affordable energy available to all citizens.
The speed of technological change and the uncertainty about future policies makes it hard to answer these questions. But countries that have put their toe in the water offer clues. South Africa is one
