Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a range of key informants and stakeholders in Mozambique, South Africa, China, India and Brazil. These were conducted to enable us to gain an in-depth understanding of why and how clean energy policy or investment decisions have been made and the different views and perspectives of the key actors involved. This included the following: (1) interviews with representatives of relevant government agencies based in China, India and Brazil and concerned with clean energy and overseas development cooperation; (2) interviews with representatives of relevant government agencies in South Africa and Mozambique concerned with energy policy and infrastructure; (3) Interviews with representatives of Chinese, Indian and Brazilian energy companies active in Southern African energy systems; (4) Interviews with representatives of national civil society organisations (CSOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) concerned with energy issues in Mozambique and South Africa (5) Interviews with representatives of multilateral development agencies and international development donors active in the energy sectors of Mozambique and South Africa.This interdisciplinary research project seeks to examine how, why and to what extent the Rising Powers (specifically China, India and Brazil) are enabling the transition to low carbon energy systems in Southern Africa. The project will explore the range of actors, institutions, partnerships and policy-making processes involved in these contemporary forms of ‘South-South’ co-operation and technology transfer and aims to identify the key interests and beneficiaries being served here. Empirically focused on case studies of Mozambique and South Africa, the project will assess the implications of the growing involvement of the Rising Powers in Southern African energy systems for the affordability, accessibility and sustainability of energy services in the region and will analyse how the Rising Powers are shaping the provision of energy services for productive uses (e.g. cooking, lighting and mobility). The project also seeks to assess the implications for the wider governance of energy and climate change at the local, national, regional and global scales. Using a combination of semi-structured interviews and community-based participatory research methods the research will also explore the dynamics of the low carbon transitions being created and enabled by the Rising Powers in Southern Africa, which are uneven and differentiated technically, socially and spatially.

Semi-structured qualitative interviews