The TSITICA project is structured around six research themes:
The first theme, on the linkages between social inequalities and climate policy, investigates how dynamics of inequalities shape climate policy outcomes.
The second theme investigates the dynamics of inequalities in relation to climate interventions.
The third, fourth and fifth themes investigate the impacts of climate interventions at different levels:
By collating a systematic database of climate projects, the third theme investigates these interventions’ impacts on inequalities.
The fourth theme directions a similar inquiry – at the community and household level – while the fifth models overarching national level interventions and the macro-economic distributional impacts.
A sixth research stream concentrates on integrating the project’s different research themes with the aims of recognising and boost innovation; identifying high-profile results emerging from and between the different themes; maximising synergies; synthesising key findings; and communicating these key messages with the aim to inform policy and practice.
Governance of climate change, social inequality and sustainable livelihoods
The research sets out to understand how social inequalities shape policy decision-making processes on climate change and their outcomes in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. We identify the relevant ‘interests, ideas and institutions’ and analyse how discourses and perceptions related to income distribution and inequality enable or constrain specific climate change policies in each country.
Team leader: Dr Britta Rennkamp, ARUA-CD
Multi-scale dynamics in inequality data that matter for climate compatible livelihoods
This work profiles and maps levels and trends of multidimensional variables in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa in the 21st century, including assets, wealth and services that are key to assessing climate actions. The impact of the multidimensional inequalities on livelihood vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities is then analysed. This work forms the basis for understanding the detailed pathways by which climate change policies and other interventions create or break the ability to achieve fair and equitable outcomes for citizens (addressed by two other project research themes).
Team leader: Prof. Murray Leibbrandt, ACEIR
Future climate response options, portfolios and pathways that leverage co-benefits for the Sustainable Development Goals
The third research theme aims to identify options for the implementation of national climate actions that can maximise the reduction of multidimensional poverty and inequality (MDPI). The research team aims to collate a structured catalogue of climate response options that provides policymakers and practitioners an evidence base of what has been tried, tested and suggested, and their pros and cons in terms of sustainable livelihood and MDPI reduction co-benefits.
Team leader: Prof. Mark New, ARUA-CD
Unpacking livelihood and equity outcomes of place-based climate change interventions: Practitioner perspectives
This analysis will reveal the pathways through which selected climate change interventions create or break the ability to achieve fair and equitable outcomes for local communities. It entails an in-depth analysis of a set of place-based climate change interventions in Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa in relation to their ability to address poverty, inequality and inequity while simultaneously reducing climate risk to create more resilient and secure livelihoods. While funding cuts have required the team to redesign the research approach to focus on in-depth online interviews and a survey with practitioners, the original framing that focuses on capacities, livelihood assets and benefits and their distribution, as well as different dimensions of equity, continues to guide this work.
Team leader: Prof. Sheona Shackleton, ARUA-CD
Distributional impacts of climate action
This research aims to assess both the macro-economic and economy-wide distributional impacts of identified and chosen climate actions from Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. The focus will be restricted to climate actions in the power and agriculture sectors due to their importance to economic growth and development in the focus countries, their vulnerability to climate change, and importance in reducing carbon emissions.
Team leader: Faaiqa Hartley, ACEIR
Synergies, integration and synthesis
The work under this research stream is aimed at facilitating integrations and synergies between the different research themes as the project evolves.
Team leader: Prof. Mark New, ARUA-CD