Book excerpt: Deliberations on the just transition in South Africa have intensified and will continue to do so for the next few years and decades. Climate change, widening socio-economic inequality, the precarious future of work and emergent approaches to financing arrangements have brought new urgency to the issues. It therefore remains critical to interrogate how South Africa can ensure a just transition to a low carbon economy. This book underlines the fact that the low carbon transition in South Africa has to grapple with complex historical, social, economic, cultural and political factors. The main message is that the transition to a low-carbon society is possible, but it can only succeed if it is just and handled collaboratively. In addition, the book aims to broaden the discourse on low carbon transition and explore the opportunities in and impediments to making the transition fair, affordable and socio-economically viable.