Chantal’s current focus is enabling financial actors to finance and contribute to a just and inclusive transition for South Africa. Her work is at the nexus of sustainability transitions, and finance, which is executed through a newly established non-profit research practice (Rabia Transitions Initiative). Through Rabia, she has initiated and lead strategic foundational research on climate risk and financing mechanisms in collaboration with other partners to inform the response of the South African Reserve Bank, National Treasury and JSE to climate change and just transitions.

Background

Chantal has a DPhil (Technology and Innovation) from Sussex University, an MPhil (Development Finance) from Stellenbosch University, Higher Diploma in Tax from University of Witwatersrand and a BCom (Accounting) from University of Cape Town. Chantal has published and presented extensively on climate finance, synthesising her policy, and financing experiences particularly around the needs of developing countries on access and use of climate finance funds to support climate action. Most recently, authoring the seminal chapter on Article 2.1c of the Paris Agreement (consistency of finance flows) for the UNFCCC, analysis the unique funding needs for financing just transition investment portfolios in South Africa, and a book chapter on the just transition financing dynamics of South Africa. Chantal has also contributed to new academic insights through her PhD work on the role of the financial sector within a sustainability transition context, where she studied the directions given by government, and ensuring financing response by funders to the REIPPPP. Her policy-related publications describe her experiences in South Africa, and other African countries, Peru, Chile and Colombia on creating national green funds, financing NAMAs, building green finance capabilities within national development banks, and developing national climate finance strategies and programmes.  

Chantal Naidoo has a 28 year career across various public and private financing contexts (corporate tax consulting, debt capital markets, corporate finance, development and climate finance), in South Africa, United States and across the African region. Chantal has a depth of climate finance experience garnered over the 13 years working closely with project developers, governments and funders across the African region. Her work includes supporting efforts in Latin America, and SIDS on strategic use of climate finance at the national level, focusing on resource mobilisation, financing mechanisms, stakeholder engagements, policy and programme development. (A detailed resume is available). She served the Green Climate Fund as a regional advisor for 6.5 years working with African governments (Depts of Environment and National Treasuries) to design, access and structure the use of climate readiness and project funds. During her tenure at the Development Bank of Southern Africa as a Divisional Executive, Chantal initiated an environmental finance function, achieving several milestones such as the design and set up of the Green Fund, initiating accreditation to the Global Environment Facility, leading research to inform the climate finance aspects of the National Climate Change Response Policy and sharing South Africa’s experiences at various international fora. Chantal also advised the South African delegation at the Rio+20 SDG Summit on a financing strategy to deliver on the SDGs, which triggered further work by the UNEP Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Finance System.