Pheladi Thalakgale is a South African Diplomat currently serving as the Deputy Director of Climate Change and Environment at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa, where she leads the Departments work, providing Foreign Policy guidance and coordination on issues of Climate Change, Energy and Just Transitions.
Ms Thalakgale is an experienced diplomat who has served the Republic of South Africa for over 15 years including at various Embassies abroad. She is an expert on issues of Climate Change and the Environment with a substantive track record in government policy, UNFCCC diplomacy and negotiations, policy development and multilateral cooperation at the global level.
Ms Thalakgale has been at the centre of critical negotiations to address Climate Change and Just Energy Transitions, including work related to the UN SDG Agenda. She played a decisive role in COP Negotiations and Agreements since COP23, as well as a contributing to South Africa’s Climate Change national policy positions and frameworks, as well as coordinating positions of the Africa Group, G77 and China and BASIC. She further played a key role as a focal point in the work and success of the G20 Working Groups on Environment and Climate Sustainability, Energy Transitions under South Africa’s G20 Presidency.
Working closely with National and Regional stakeholders, Ms Thalakgale, continues to render her expertise and knowledge on Just Transitions, Climate Finance, and Adaptation, while representing South Africa skillfully at various international fora, on these issues.