The Long Run is, amongst other things, about moving towards sustainable production and consumption patterns. It is about ensuring a better tomorrow – and the 650 people that converged on Johannesburg during South Africa’s first Green Economy Summit discussed just that.
The event, hosted by the South African Government and coordinated by the Department of Environmental Affairs, this May, provided inputs to the national green economy strategy in the context of a global transition towards sustainable production and consumption patterns. A particular focus was on the employment potential in the green economy, the so-called “green jobs”, as an engine for development.
The public response on the first day was overwhelming: hundreds of registered participants, among them national and international NGOs, the private sector, unions, and senior managers from local, provincial and national government. An opening report from the working group on Climate Change stressed the need for an ecosystem approach to climate change adaptation and the importance of community-based adaptation mechanisms.
His Excellency, President Jacob Zuma, in his keynote address said a green economy would require integrated strategies and plans that balanced economic, environmental and social development objectives; a balance requiring carefully-crafted policy and institutional frameworks geared towards practical action and delivery. He stressed that functioning ecosystems underpin all economic and social activity, and that ecosystem failure will seriously compromise our ability to address our social and economic priorities. Noting that natural resources are national economic assets and that the South African economy depends heavily on energy and mineral resources, biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, fishing and tourism, Zuma concluded that South Africa had no option but to manage its natural resources in a sustainable way.
Ministerial addresses on the opening day of the summit included Mr. Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Economic Development, and Mrs. Naledi Pandor, Minister of Science and Technology. Both concentrated on the various opportunities that are opening up especially for the private sector in areas such as clean technology or renewable energy, water and waste management. A Representative of the World Bank shared the Bank’s view on the necessary regulatory framework to incentivise the transition to a greener economy. A Representative of the OECD described progress made in selected countries around the world.
The Executive Director of UNEP, Mr. Achim Steiner, addressed the summit via video link from New York and called it a ‘historic moment’ in which South Africa is joining a small group of countries that are tackling this topic at such a high political level. Mr. Steiner encouraged the delegates to challenge traditional economic assumptions and to sharpen the focus of the sustainable development agenda by incorporating environmental, macroeconomic and social equity issues. He stressed that the green economy is not an alternative economy but instead represents a necessary transition. He noted the job creation potential, citing examples from countries like Spain and Germany in the renewable energy sector. According to Mr. Steiner, the topic of ‘green jobs’ is gaining momentum around the world, including in India where a rural employment guarantee scheme is in operation and supports the creation of jobs particularly in sustainable ecosystem management. He concluded his remarks with a call for a more systemic and systematic approach to seize the opportunities for South Africa, the region and the entire African continent.
More information: http://www.sagreeneconomysummit.co.za/
