Greening the economy has been shown globally to have great potential
to both improve the environment and stimulate growth.1
This potential
is particularly important in South Africa, given our high levels of carbon
emissions and unemployment. Estimates for green growth show the
potential scale of employment to be promising. There is, however, much
uncertainty around these estimates and their underlying assumptions. One
of the key issues concerns the size of the stimulus necessary to create
sustainable green industries. The extent to which local procurement is
emphasised will also have a significant impact on the extent of green job
growth. The ability to deliver and implement industrial policy and skills
training will also have an impact on green job growth. Finally, how greening
growth will be financed is another crucial issue to be considered.
Despite the questions surrounding these estimates, green economic
activity does appear to generate more local jobs than fossil-fuel-based
industries. Some of the estimates also indicate the potential for significant
employment. The figures discussed here therefore represent a promising
starting point that warrants further research and policy involvement in
greening the economy in South Africa.