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In striving to achieve the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, governments have the opportunity to implement their climate and sustainability goals more coherently. Such coherence requires the coordination of interdependent policies across different policy fields, sectors and actors. This paper explores how governments design and implement synergic solutions to concomitantly achieve both international agendas. With the empirical cases of Germany and South Africa, we investigate two independent approaches to the synergic solution of a just energy transition, whereby countries aim to phase out coal as a means to tackle climate change while also ensuring that the achievement of other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not hindered. Methodologically, we apply a deductive qualitative approach consisting of literature review, semi-structured interviews, and content analysis. To that end, we examine relevant policies and institutional arrangements by applying a combined conceptual framework of energy justice and just transition in both countries. We find major challenges in overcoming environmental, economic and social burdens of the coal phase-out, especially related to jobs and inequality (SDGs 8, 10) and the Water-Energy-Food-Land nexus (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 15). Through the selection of Germany and South Africa, we illustrate how countries with different political, social and economic backgrounds strive to manage such a transition. Our developed framework and case-studies' findings point towards important considerations when designing just energy transition pathways, such as ensuring inclusiveness in decision-making, thoroughly assessing social, economic and environmental impacts, and adequately coordinating across different actors and the local, provincial and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of a survey of climate change developments in South Africa and Germany from the perspective of its relevance to extreme actions on infrastructure are presented in this paper. It is concluded that the importance of climate change is broad and varied. However incorporation into practice is mostly nominal. Although general trends of climate change are confirmed, proper information on changes in extreme conditions is limited. Coastal engineering seems to be the field which is most active in providing for climate change. It is concluded that risk-based methodologies developed to treat the variability and uncertainties of extreme actions and consequences in present practice provide a sound basis for treating the effects of climate change in a rational and optimal manner. It is also clear that there is strong motivation for extensive research as the best action to be taken presently, anticipating appropriate adjustment of re-optimised design methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]