- The Open Secrets report finds that consulting firms, accounting firms and government lobby groups are playing a fundamental role in shaping responses to the climate and energy crises, whether this is through their work for South Africa’s largest fossil fuel companies and banks or their work for public institutions and government.
- Implicated are the Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey, Bain & Co, Presidential Climate Commission, Energy Council of South Africa and many others.
According to the JET Grants Register, around 65% of the committed grant funds have gone to private corporations and organisations as implementing entities. Less than 25% of the grant monies go to local implementing entities, such as non-governmental organisations, public sector entities, and universities. Often, there is also a direct link between where the money comes from (the donor country) and where the money goes (the implementing entity).
The report is a real eye-opener and reveals that:
- Consultants will continue to position themselves to profit in times of crisis, and it is now abundantly clear that the climate crisis is no exception.
- The involvement of consultants and their interests in the climate and energy transition space should not be accepted without scrutiny.
- We should be concerned about the extent to which private consultancies have gained influence in the world of climate change and the pursuit of a just energy transition, including in South Africa.
- Significant and systemic conflicts of interest – many of the largest private consultants simultaneously work with clients that are accelerating and exacerbating climate change, all while selling their credentials to address the climate crisis.
- Private consultants receive a disproportionate portion of climate finance, often at the expense of other voices.
Link to the full report HERE
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
