25th November 2011 - As maddening as it may be for those who believe the current emphasis on greenhouse-gas emissions is misplaced (particularly in the context of South Africa’s massive poverty, unemployment and inequality problems), there is no question that South Africa is embracing green thinking.
As host of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change seventeenth Conference of the Parties, or COP 17, which gets under way in Durban next week, this is arguably only natural.
But, for me, it is also interesting to note the approach that is being adopted by government and civil society. Dire warnings about the potential for drought, coastal degradation and other extreme weather phenomena have been given some prominence. But, on the whole, South Africa is paying far more attention to the opportunities associated with building climate resilience and green infrastructure.
This attitude came to the fore again last week when government, business, labour and organised community groups signed a ‘Green Economy Accord’, which was described as one of the most comprehensive social partnerships on the green economy internationally.
The document highlights the potential for green industrialisation and green jobs, while a commitment had also been made by South Africa’s still nascent renewable-energy industry to minimum local content thresholds.
The accord is the fourth to be signed under the aegis of the New Growth Path, which expects green industries to contribute some 300 000 jobs to the bigger goal of adding a total of five-million jobs to the South African economy by 2020. read more>>>
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