December 4 2011 - Close to 500 000 jobs could be created within the next decade if South Africa moves towards a “green economy” – and that’s just the start of it.
These half-million new jobs are only those created directly from the move towards greener industries, including alternative energy sources and manufacturing of green products. The indirect or associated jobs could send the total number up towards the one million mark.
This emerged on the sidelines of COP17, where government officials and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) spoke of the desire to shift towards this green economy. A recent study by the IDC, released last month, indicated that 462 000 new jobs could be created by 2024. But only with the correct public, private and community sector buy-in.
“It’s not set in stone that we can and will create this number of green jobs. But it is an incentive for us,” said national Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel.
Using the example of solar geysers, Patel said in buying them from China, only a few jobs would be created through installing them here. If there were local companies making those products, however, jobs would be created in manufacturing and installing. read more>>>
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