NBI Just Transition and Climate Pathways Study for South Africa

Background to project

The National Business Initiative (NBI), together with BUSA and the Boston Consulting Group, launched this study to collectively develop a view of what the decarbonisation pathways could look like for the South African economy. The research and pathway scenarios aim to inform policy and planning together with the South African private sector and other relevant stakeholders from government, labour and civil society.

Farm Design’s role

Farm Design was asked to design a format for presenting the research in an accessible and easy-to-read format. The report design template was to be in line with the corporate identity of the NBI. We were also responsible for the design and layout, illustration, and production of five reports over a period of five months.

The five reports detailed findings for different sector’s in the South African Economy: Power; Chemicals and Petrochemicals; Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Use; Mining; and the Role of Gas in a Just Transition.

Process and experience

The Just Transition and Climate Pathways Study brought together many stakeholders, researchers and authors. From the start Farm Design realised that a very important task will be to have a unified look-and-feel throughout the five publications.

We approached the editor Barbara Hutton, who is very experienced and skilled in plain-writing technical information, to be our partner in this project. She supplied an editorial style guide, list of abbreviations, and tone of voice. She also edited the manuscripts.

Farm Design produced all the illustrations, charts and graphs with a similar graphic style. We also did the image sourcing and rights-of-use for the project.

A Just Transition for South Africa must ensure that the transition to a low carbon economy is conducted in a way that serves to address present and historical inequality, creates jobs, relieves poverty, restores our natural systems to build resilience, and, critically, leaves no one behind.

National Business Initiative (NBI)

Read more about the study at https://www.nbi.org.za/climate-pathways-and-a-just-transition-for-south-africa/

About the NBI

The National Business Initiative (NBI) is a voluntary coalition of South African and multinational companies, working towards sustainable growth and development in South Africa, and the shaping of a sustainable future through responsible business action.

The NBI is a global network partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and an implementation partner of the CEO Water Mandate, We Mean Business and the CDP.

For more information about the NBI, visit their webpage.

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Elsabe is the Creative director: Graphic Design at Farm Design. The company is located on the slopes of Table Mountain in the beautiful Cape Town. After years of experience in the design and advertising of fast-moving consumer goods, Elsabe wanted to do “design that makes a difference”. She therefor concentrates on academic and advocacy work for issues that she considers as important. These include climate change, human rights and law. Her particular skill is in making content easy to understand, interesting to engage with, and accessible. Elsabe loves technology and code. She started learning HTML in the mid eighties and has been on the learning treadmill ever since. She is able to do both the front end design and the back-end installation of websites. She believes that a good job is always a collaborative undertaking – a good brief with a clear target market, quality research and writing polished with detailed editing, uncluttered design with a purpose, and meticulous proofing. Farm Design’s clients and collaborators are situated from Cape Town to the UK, Canada, US, and various countries across Africa. Elsabe holds a BA degree in Graphic Design from Stellenbosch University, with majors in Design and Photography. In the creative industry you are often asked about awards won. Though she has received a Loerie Award for design, from the USA the Clio Gold Award and the Communications Arts Annual Award of Excellence, she considers her best award to be the clients she has worked with for decades.