Greening South Africa’s economy is a growth path out of unemployment and poverty — and is the right thing to do

Source: Margaret Chitiga-Mabugu, Daily Maverick 12 January, photo credit: 123RF/ajlber

By focusing on green economic recovery measures, South Africa can reconstruct its economy and achieve higher economic activity and increased employment while allowing for significant cuts in CO2 emissions.

Climate change is a serious challenge across the globe, and with it comes detrimental economic effects. As one of the biggest polluters in the world, South Africa is not absolved from this unfortunate reality, given its ailing economic growth in recent years. This calls for a new “green impetus” in South Africa to steer economic growth.

The challenge of pursuing economic recovery and reconstruction in the face of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic offers South Africa a rare opportunity to change course, tackle the climate crisis and ensure long-term, environmentally sustainable prosperity.

Findings from in-depth modelling exercises — undertaken in collaboration with global partners, including Cambridge Econometrics, the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and the International Labour Organisation’s Partnership for Action on Green Economy — reveal that by focusing on green economic recovery measures, South Africa can reconstruct its economy in an improved and more inclusive way.

The country can also achieve higher economic activity and increase employment while allowing for significant cuts in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Without strong green economic policies, South Africa will see an increase in already high CO2 emissions, thus reducing economic activity and employment opportunities.
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