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Fund ready to take risk on job-rich green projects

9th May 2014

By: Anine Kilian

Contributing Editor Online

  

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As we celebrate 20 years of democracy, we also had to reflect on government’s approaches to – which drove South Africa’s developmental agenda – and achievements on different programmes at policy and implementation level, Environmental Advisory Service deputy director general Alf Wills said last month at a green jobs dialogue, which took place in Gauteng. However, he noted that youth unemployment, inequality and poverty remained daunting tasks to address.

“In 2010, we hosted the National Summit on Green Economy under the overarching theme ‘Towards resource-efficient, low-carbon and pro-employment growth path’. It was at this summit that we made a conscious decision to champion the transition to a green economy and further identified thematic focus areas for intervention in South Africa,” Wills said.

He added that, in his recent State of the Nation address, President Jacob Zuma stated that about 650 000 jobs had been created last year. The President further said that the unemployment rate still remained high and that youth unemployment in South Africa continued to be a concern.

“He also referred to the achievements of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and the number of jobs being created through this initiative, also alluding to the target of achieving six-million work opportunities from 2014 to 2019. We have a huge task ahead of us , more specifically, with regard to achieving a green economy, the Green Economy Accord and the implications it holds for the youth of this country,” Wills pointed out.

He added that the dialogue was held after a four-day Presidential indaba on youth, jobs and skills, which took place in March, as government continued to invest in the youth of South Africa.

“The indaba created a platform for young people to empower themselves by directly interacting with the President, senior government officials and the business community, accessing information that will lead to a career development path and job opportunities,” said Wills.

Government signed a series of accords with social partners and organised business from 2011 to 2013, including the National Skills Accord, the Basic Education and Partnerships with Schools Accord, the Local Procurement Accord, the October Social Accord, the Youth Employment Accord and the Green Economy Accord.

“The Green Economy Accord was signed by government and numerous stakeholders in November 2011; it identifies 12 key commitment areas and aims to create at least 300 000 jobs by 2020,” he stated.

The 12 commitment areas include investment in the green economy; the roll-out of solar water heaters and renewable-energy, energy efficiency, waste-recycling, bio- fuels, clean-coal and retrofitting initiatives; reducing carbon emissions on roads; the electrification of poor communities; economic development in the green economy; and cooperation with regard to the United Nations’ Cop 17 initiatives.

“We must scale up various successful programmes, such as the EPWP; the land-care programme, aimed at finding ways of rehabilitating the quality of soil to ensure food security and protect our biodiversity by clearing alien invasive plants; and the ‘working for’ programmes, which continue to create employment opportunities, especially for women and youth,” he said.

He added that there were several key areas of intervention that the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) had embarked on to deal with youth unemployment.

These included the Groen Sebenza Jobs Fund Partnership project between the DEA and the South African National Biodiversity Institute to develop a pool of young biodiversity professionals.

“Intervention also includes the Youth Jobs in Waste Programme, which will create 3577 jobs once it is fully operational in the provinces, and the Wastepreneur programme, which is being implemented through the department’s Green Fund and aims to create job opportunities for the youth and women. The Wastepreneur programme has created about 2 350 jobs to date, with a final target of creating 4400 jobs by the time the project is fully operational in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng,” Wills explained.

The DEA’s Green Fund Pro-gramme provides startup funding for innovative and high-impact green economy projects that support the transition to a greener economy. The programme supports poverty reduction and job creation through its high tolerance for risk taking. In addition, Wills pointed out, it would create an enabling environment for future investments.

“The Green Fund further supports research and policy development, including capacity development. This is an exciting new initiative, providing a unique opportunity for government, financiers and the private sector to be directly involved in supporting innovative green- economy initiatives,” he said, adding that government alone could not manage and fund a just transition to a green economy – the private sector and civil society played a fundamental role.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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