Inclusive green growth in Africa:

an ECAs perspective
Second Annual Conference on
Climate Change and Development in Africa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
20 October 2012

Ms. Isatou Gaye, Chief

Environment and Sustainable Development
Food Security and Sustainable Development Division

If we dont change our direction, were

likely to end up where were headed
(Chinese proverb)

Meeting the needs of Africa

Africas ecological footprint is low
And basic needs are yet to be met
Africa needs to grow in a smart way
Africa has enjoyed fast economic growth in last decade
Not resulted in sufficient job creation and poverty
reduction, environmental degradation continues
unabated
Reliance on extractive industry with little value-addition

and do so in an inclusive and environmentally

sustainable manner
Can inclusive green growth be the answer?

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable

Development (Rio+20)
A green economy is:
One of several approaches, visions, models and tools
available to each country to achieve sustainable
development.

It should contribute to:

Eradicating poverty
Sustained inclusive economic growth and innovation
Enhancing social inclusions, improving human welfare
Creating opportunities for employment and decent work
for all
Maintaining the healthy functioning of the Earths
ecosystem

A global agreement on the green economy?

Agreement reached in Rio is a compromise
Controversies and uncertainties remain:

A barrier to trade
An aid conditionality
Need for Means of Implementation
How to effectively shift from natural resource
dependency to value addition

ECAs perspective: inclusive green growth

A stepwise approach:
Inclusive green growth in selected, key sectors,
alongside traditional economic models
Continue pursuing growth-centred strategies, while
ensuring growth that is resource-efficient, clean
and inclusive
Opportunity for lessons learning to better inform
policies and practice

Green growth in Africa

Focusing short and medium term efforts on
sectors where win-win strategies can be pursued:
Building on natural capital assets, renewable and nonrenewable agriculture, biodiversity, forests, minerals,
Exploiting green opportunities for industrial growth, e.g. best
available technologies, leapfrogging dirty technologies
Harnessing clean energy potential
Role of indigenous technologies

Sustainable Development Report on Africa

SDRA V: Achieving sustainable development in Africa
through inclusive green growth
Focus on five key sectors for the region:

Agriculture and land management

Ecosystem goods and services
Energy
Manufacturing
Trade

Case studies of best practices and lessons learnt

Five countries, complemented by work being undertaken
by partners
Case studies, good practices lessons learnt to inform
policy choices

Sustainable Development Report on Africa

Scale up and scale out success stories in key sectors,
reaping low-hanging fruit to demonstrate that green
growth can lead to job creation and inclusive
economic growth, while ensuring sustainability
Mix of instruments and tools, as they will target
different elements of green growth

The role of ECA

Rio+20 mandate:
Support developing countries upon request to achieve
sustainable development, including through green
economy policies.
Promote exchange of good practices, policy instruments
and tools to spur green growth regional and subregional platforms

Studies and technical reports on inclusive green

growth in Africa
Advisory services upon request

Thank You
www.uneca.org