The 13th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) held in Bamako, Mali had South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda outlining plans to achieve a green economy.
The African governments are mobilizing investments to restore their socio-economic and environmental assets, allocating portions of their fiscal stimulus for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. Following a Green Economy Summit held in Johannesburg in May this year, South Africa has embarked into the development of a Green Economy Plan. South Africa earlier launched a $7.5 billion fiscal stimulus for period 2009-2011 with a primary focus on investments that create more decent jobs, and related to this, investments in infrastructure. Nearly $1 billion is being spent in railways, energy efficient buildings, and water and waste management. South Africa has also articulated concepts and principles of a Green Economy into its budgeting process.
Kenya is attempting to become 100% green by 2017, allocating $1 billion to construct a 280-MW geothermal plant. In Rwanda, the East African country’s president Paul Kagame received the Energy Globe Award on World Environment Day based upon his Vision 2020 plan. And Uganda is focusing on its agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, UNEP announced a new initiative on Green Economy and Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship Development in Africa, with funding from the European Union, to be launched soon. In working with African countries and regional institutions in Africa, UNEP seeks to support a transition to a green economy and to promote social and environmental entrepreneurship in Africa.
Action under this initiative aims to encourage governments and stakeholders to refocus policies and investment in green economic sectors, such as renewable energies and energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, low-carbon transport, water, forest, and fishery resources, and to enhance social and environmental entrepreneurship with a view to strengthening local capacities, delivering green jobs, and contributing to sustainable development and poverty reduction in Africa.
The Green Economy Initiative for Africa will support the development of national green economy strategies by providing platforms for national consultations on Green Economy, building partnerships, enhancing synergy with existing strategies, policies and programs, and supporting Africa’s readiness for the Rio+20 Conference.
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