Energy justice and a just urban transition for/in informal settlements

The event will share lessons and insights from initiatives in Brazil, South Africa and the global South aimed at the inclusion of informal settlements in energy transition policy and practices. In South Africa, the Cities Support Programme of National Treasury and Isandla Institute have partnered on advancing a just urban transition approach to informal settlements, working with cities, civil society organisations and policy makers to inform urban policy reform and good practice. In Brazil, Instituto Polis has worked in favelas in Sao Paulo to advance energy justice, working directly with residents to co-create appropriate solutions. Lessons and insights from these contexts will be augmented by experiences from other countries in the global South, particularly those represented in the Habitat International Coalition (HIC), demonstrating that the transformation of cities in line with climate mitigation and the energy transition needs to include informal settlements and local residents to advance equity and urban resilience. The objectives of the session are: - To position informal settlements as central to a just urban transition and identify what this means for urban reform, local practice and organisational capabilities, based on the South Africa experience; - To share practical examples of advancing energy justice in informal settlements, highlighting achievements, challenges and solutions, based on the Sao Paulo/Brazil experience; - To explore how these and similar local/national initiatives can help inform a global agenda for the inclusion of informal settlements in local/national energy transitions, with concomitant resources, capacities and partnerships.