Just when our team at Earthnews365, was beginning to engage economists, on whether there is still hope for green jobs driven by the Just Energy Transition in South Africa, the World Economic Forum released the latest index, on how companies are progressing against the global net zero target.
Sweden, Denmark and Norway are leading the pack, in energy system structures, coupled with their impressive regulatory frameworks and investment in further research and development.
While striving to reach the target, it is proving quiet a complex exercise for some countries, like South Africa.
The transition to cleaner energy could lead to a loss of 55, 000 jobs, as reflected by insight from Earth. org (of no relation to Earthnews365).
In addition, Enoch Godongwana, Finance Minister, said South Africa is ramping up over R366 billion in debt every year.
So what are the chances for South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan, fulfilling its promise to create jobs in new sectors such as the electric vehicles, green hydrogen, renewable energy and manufacturing?
Work undertaken by the African Center for a Green Economy, by Dr Mao Amis and Sonwabile Lugogo, suggest there is significant potential for the creation of green jobs, provided this is done in close collaboration between the public and private sectors.
The Green jobs, as defined by the International Labour organization (ILO), are decent jobs, contributing to the preservation and or restoration of the environment, in all sectors of the economy (manufacturing, agriculture, renewable energy, electric vehicles and more).
Godongwana, also said like the rest of the world, SA is balancing tax revenue collection with debt borrowings.
Our interest today, however, is on the global index published and how other countries are getting it right, although there clearly is no one size fit for all.
Read more about global progress, Ewan Thomson, World Economic Forum:
Picture: Ted talks