Environmental Policy Research Unit (EPRU)
The EfD center in South Africa is called the Environmental Policy Research Unit (EPRU). EPRU is a research group which seeks to enhance environmental policy making in South Africa through rigorous policy research and extension in order to attain sustainable development and poverty reduction. EPRU is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) through the Environment for Development (EfD) initiative, and managed by the Environmental Economics Unit at the University of Gothenburg. Operationally, EPRU is hosted by one of the existing research units in the School of Economics, namely the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU). With time, EPRU will stand as a full fledged research unit in the School of Economics after undergoing a status review by the University Research Committee.
The Environmental Policy Research Unit (EPRU) mission is to be a center of excellence in environmental policy where (i) highly skilled academics and policy practitioners interact in the process of rigorous environmental policy research, (ii) current and future policy makers and practitioners acquire training in rigorous and the latest environmental policy making and practice, and (iii) current policy makers and practitioners get professional and well-researched environmental policy advice.
The developmental goal of EPRU will be to bring about poverty reduction through sustainable development. EPRU’s immediate goal is to promote quality and innovation in the teaching, research and advisory services on environmental policy in South Africa. The objectives of EPRU are:
1) to build capacity in rigorous environmental policy analysis relevant for South Africa through innovation in “in-service” and postgraduate training programs for the current and future policy makers and technocrats;
2) to create a forum in which academics, policy makers and civil servants set the research agenda for critical environmental policy issues in South Africa, which should contribute to increased environmental awareness among South African policy makers, better understanding of environmental realities, and more informed environmental policy-making;
3) to become a South African focal point where a community of environmental researchers will share ideas, comment on each other's work and collaborate in research projects beneficial to environmental policy makers in a cost effective manner.
