About Us
In operation since 2002, OneWorld is a privately owned consultancy with offices in Cape Town and Brussels. We focus on building social, economic, and institutional resilience in the context of climate and resource constraints.
Working both globally and across Africa, OneWorld translates the scientific evidence of climate change and its development impacts into realistic policy and institutional arrangements. We provide effective policy and strategy analysis, institutional development, and capacity building to decision and policy makers. OneWorld develops innovative finance solutions for complex multi-stakeholder situations.
OneWorld has cultivated strong relationships across the public and private sectors. We work extensively with national and local governments, international and multilateral agencies, development banks, regional economic communities, river basin organisations, and the private sector. Stakeholder engagement is a cornerstone of our approach. Central to our successful delivery is an extensive network of partners and experts.
OneWorld’s core competency lies in applying a political economy approach, systems thinking, integrated solutions, participatory analysis, and co-benefit assessments across our four key programmes: Climate Resilience, Resilient Resources, Sustainable Finance, and Just Transitions.
Our Approach
Our approach to our work derives from our values and the core skills we have developed:
- Responsive and intuitive capacity building
- Advancing adaptive capacity to climate change
- Advocating participatory analysis and partnerships
- Mobilising policy to interface with science and implementation
- Tracking of, and alignment to, global and continental trends
- Aligning public and private sector needs and capabilities
- Integrating climate change with country-specific development goals
- Assimilating climate finance into development finance prerogatives
- Matching needs to resources, beneficiaries to benefactors
- Managing for change at regional and transboundary levels
- Working programmatically and using lessons learned to build on our experiences
These core skills find expression in how we develop and communicate our thinking, and how we translate our ideas into successful projects.
How We Work
OneWorld’s comprehensive project experience and production of high-quality disciplinary research and technical advisory services strategically positions the firm to provide relevant and effectual support to decision and policymakers.
This, along with substantial experience in programme coordination, management, and strategy development, allows the OneWorld team to provide tailored technical advice and support to its clients.
We have developed clear and effective methodologies for socio-economic development and climate impact assessments, as well as depth of experience in stakeholder processes, including expertise in organising, managing and facilitating these.
This has been gained through many years of working on projects across sub-Saharan Africa that have had a strong focus on participatory analysis and high-level stakeholder engagement. The variety of projects that OneWorld has undertaken, particularly in southern Africa, attests to that.
Our Areas of Focus
Climate Resilience
Building sustainable climate-resilient societies and systems through inclusive impact-driven and evidence-based policies, strategies and financing solutions.
Resilient Resources
Advancing inclusive sustainable governance and financing for water, land and marine use, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and extractive resource development, across administrative and political boundaries.
Sustainable Finance
Identifying finance solutions – for inclusive sustainable development and institutions, climate, biodiversity, ecosystems and infrastructure – that dovetail effectively with global development and national agendas.
Just Transitions
Mobilising the inclusive low-carbon green economy agenda, in line with local, national, regional and global development priorities.
