Yasirah Madhi is a climate policy researcher and Basani Baloyi is a programme co-director at the Institute For Economic Justice (IEJ) as part of the Climate Ambition to Accountability Project. The project aims to enhance the capacity and coordination among civil society organisations and the youth. Its objective is to strengthen civil society for involvement in policy processes and mainstream cross-cutting issues in national climate policy. It developed a rights-based climate finance toolkit. The toolkit prioritises sustainable, equitable and low-carbon development, placing human rights at the centre and ensuring they are protected through proper financing. It analyses climate finance practices, which often fall short of safeguarding these rights and centre corporate-driven profit motives that may conflict with human rights. For example, the construction of hydroelectric dams may displace people. The toolkit also analyses the lack of proper enforcement and accountability that allows these rights to be compromised. Yasirah developed the conceptual rights-based framework that formed the basis for the toolkit based on a working paper she wrote with the support of Basani as a reviewer. As the project coordinator, she facilitated the integration of input from stakeholders. Basani co-developed the toolkit. She identified the key themes that would serve as campaign areas that would define the toolkit, as well as developed factsheets that helped to build the knowledge on climate finance and “how to” guides for advocacy campaigns around climate finance.
Educational Qualifications
- Yasirah Madhi: Masters in climate change and sustainable development, University of Cape Town
- Basani Baloyi: Climate: PhD Economics, School of Oriental and African Studies
Greatest achievements
- Pieces of this work were presented to the treasury at the inaugural Climate Resilience Symposium.
- A cohort of 30 members from various civil society organisations were trained on the contents of the toolkit in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
- The large-scale dissemination of the toolkit reached hundreds of people and civil society organisations in South Africa through a launch webinar, newsletters and other channels.
- We have had requests for training workshops nationally, and in the continent and in Asia from civil society organisations, trade unions and government departments.
What advice would you give to future generations?
The path forward isn’t easy, but it’s ours to carve. The systems that got us here, driven by unchecked capitalism and short-term profit, can’t be the ones that lead us out of the climate crisis. We can build a world that values people and the planet over profit. It starts with rethinking how we finance our future — creating systems that invest in sustainability, equity, and justice. We owe it to you to create a better, fairer world.