Building Inclusive Green Economies In Africa

This summary highlights the key findings of this work carried out in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa, as well as progress made by other African countries. The document aims to assist policymakers better understand the diverse benefits of green economy investments (from employment, to poverty reduction to sustainable use and management of natural resources) by sharing good practices and policies of countries which have been actively taking initiative in the global transition to build greener and more inclusive economies.

"This synthesis report provides an overview of where Africa, as a region, stands in terms of transitioning to an inclusive green economy. It draws on recent studies to summarise the prospective gains and challenges associated with investing in a green economy and outlines a way forward to prioritise policy reforms, with a specific section on how to turn strategies and practices challenges into opportunities. Collectively, this report highlights how a transition to a green economy may be achieved within a range of country conditions."--Publisher's description.

Fostering inclusive green growth in Africa means addressing existing and emerging development challenges, while efficiently managing Africa’s natural capital and building resilience to environmental, social and economic risks. Although this new paradigm for development has the potential to create tremendous business opportunities, there are also challenges. This book provides empirical evidence on the conditions for the emergence of green businesses in Africa. It includes 13 case studies, which identify the determinants of small and medium-size enterprises’ engagement in inclusive and sustainable growth in rural Africa, and the factors that hinder eco-innovation in business and entrepreneurial activities. Furthermore it discusses appropriate regulations and policies to stimulate the development of green business in Africa. Offering insights into the relationship between eco-innovation, labor productivity and business competitiveness in rural Africa, this book appeals to scholars, policy makers and practitioners interested in a green economy for Africa.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) identified the green economy as one of several approaches to sustainable development. In their common position to Rio+20, African countries recognized that the transition to a green economy could offer new opportunities to advance the achievement of sustainable development and underlined the need for the green economy to be rooted in national priorities. Since the Rio+20, several African countries have adopted green-growth strategies and are pursuing green growth in selected sectors. As of June 2015, several countries had developed, or were in the process of developing green economy strategies or action plans at the national level. These include Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. Several countries have also succeeded in making green economy an integral part of national development planning. In Kenya, for example, the Green Economy Strategy and Implementation Plan has now become part of the medium-term plan for 2013-2017. This is based on the understanding that for a successful green economy transition, national development planning processes should be reframed in the context of green economy. The main priority for most countries is inclusive growth and making economic growth more responsive to poverty eradication. Others have called for social impacts and inclusiveness to go beyond creating green jobs, in favour of wider social protection for those who will be negatively affected by the green economy.

Most African national economies depend on the exploitation of both renewable and non-renewable natural resources for development. Conventional and unconventional exploitation of natural resources has left negative carbon footprints. This has also degraded hotspots across the African continent, impacting negatively on people and the environment. A Green Economy offers the continent the opportunity to achieve sustained economic development devoid of environmental degradation and inefficient utilisation of natural resources. This book, Promoting Green Economy, explores issues affecting the socio-economic development of the continent and focuses on Africas need for a green economy. With chapters written by seasoned authors from academia and industry across the continent, the book examines the challenges of sustainable management of Africas natural resources and recommends the need for the continent to transit towards green economy as this can provide opportunities for minimising environmental footprints of all economic activities. The book calls on the commitment of the public and private sectors to the development of appropriate green economy policies and regulatory frameworks to promote inclusive growth.

"This report was written by a team led by Marianne Fay [... et al.]."

This book examines sustainable development in the broader framework of Africa post COVID-19. Specifically, the book studies governance and digitalization from the perspective of natural environment management, climate change, the green economy, as well as agriculture and education. Digitalization supports the deepening of natural resource governance by assessing extractive practices, sovereign wealth funds and the emerging discourse on global warming and green economic policies. This analytical exercise will better inform economic and socio-political policies and institutions for African development. The book, against the backdrop of the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063, offers unique insights on digitalization, governance, the green economy, and natural resource regime in Africa post COVID-19.

This report speaks to the multiple benefits – economic, health, security, social and environmental – that such an economic model can bring to humanity. An inclusive green economy sees growth in income and employment from investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution. The IGE Narrative expands and deepens substantially the focus of UNEP's earlier work on green economy.