Investing in South African cities as part of a green and just recovery from the pandemic can create and support 1.8-million green jobs by 2030, with nearly 1.1-million of those jobs in the buildings, power and sustainable transport sectors.

A further 674 000 jobs can be generated and supported locally within cities. Investing in adaptation and nature-based solutions to tackle extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, can produce an additional 705 000 sustainable jobs across the country.

This growth in green and sustainable jobs can be achieved while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions to the extent that it will exceed South Africa's Nationally Determined Contribution to global emissions reductions, cities climate change network C40 Cities regional director for Africa Hastings Chikoko said on March 29.

"To realise good-quality green jobs, cities need direct access to private and public sources of investment. This is another key message of the research conducted by C40 Cities."

These investments also provide good returns because, in addition to the jobs potential, a green and just recovery brings clear additional social and climate benefits, the network states.

"What makes this research important is that it indicates the potential to realise a fair transition that leaves no one behind," said Chikoko.

However, action must be taken immediately. If the climate actions outlined in the research are delayed for five years, the potential for emission reduction and job creation are reduced by a third.

"But, when targeted properly, green jobs benefit the climate and, at the same time, build a resilient economy for everyone," Chikoko emphasised.

"The best time to invest in green jobs was yesterday, and the next-best time is today. We need to enact equitable policies now.

"We need to ensure that they include training and skills development programmes, which should support the equitable transition from fossil fuels, and guarantee the new jobs are accessible by marginalised and vulnerable segments of society, including women, youth and previously disadvantaged individuals," he added.

Crucially, the research found that, unless proactive policies are implemented, the distribution of access to new jobs by sector will remain broadly skewed in favour of segments of society that are currently employed. Therefore, such proactive policies are needed to encourage more equitable distribution of green jobs, said C40 knowledge and learning centre director Dr Rachel Huxley.

If cities are able to intensify investments in green recovery, they can intensify green employment.

Additionally, investing the necessary capital within the next five years, rather than over the next fifteen years, provides a significant boost to jobs and how quickly cities' economies can transition, she emphasised.

National polling commissioned by C40 found that two-thirds of South Africans strongly support using national government funds to invest in green jobs in cities.

GREEN SKILLS
The global energy transition presents an opportunity and potential for green jobs if cities implement suitable initiatives effectively. To enable cities to realise these benefits, they need to understand those parts of society that are disadvantaged and assess their capabilities to access new green jobs, said Chikoko.

Therefore, policies need to ensure skills development programmes are in place to develop skills within these groups. Cities also need to understand what technologies can suitably be deployed in African cities to ensure that cities maximise the potential impact of the transition. Skills development must also focus on ensuring that people have the knowledge to deploy these technologies and solutions, he said.

"Cities are critical partners in a green and just recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and to address climate change," he said.

Further, in separate research undertaken by C40 to investigate how cities can successfully move away from coal, skills remain a significant factor and present a gap that must be bridged to ensure people can access new jobs, said Huxley.

"In this separate report, we identified the need for concerted efforts by government and all industry sectors to retrain and upskill employees so that they can access new jobs as part of the transition from a high- to a low-carbon economy. Government and all industry sectors must invest in retraining and upskilling people for these jobs," she said.

The research also provides examples of successes among the 97 cities and metropolises that are part of the C40 network that are relevant for South African cities. Cities are also establishing just transition funds, which are often part of local re-employment and reskilling programmes, she added.

“The transition to a green economy must be just, inclusive and equitable. Green jobs can help to alleviate poverty while helping to build clean, healthy, sustainable and resilient communities,” said City of Johannesburg executive mayor and C40 vice chairperson Dr Mpho Phalatse.

“We must ensure that green jobs go to those who need them the most – marginalised communities, women and the youth. Cities are already attracting investment and creating thousands of green job opportunities. With the support of national government and the private sector, we can go even further,” she said.