Rio Summit: Green initiatives : Green economy initiatives in South Africa

What is Green Economy?

The concept of a green economy represents a determined effort to tackle the damaging obsession with GDP as a measure of progress. There is no consensual definition, but the perfect green economy would deliver equitable improvement in living standards without eroding environmental assets.

Why a Green Economy?

India is increasingly being looked at as a hub of research and development for green solutions. This is due to its innovation in technology, low-priced manufacturing and services, and traditional knowledge and processes. India has the world`s third largest pool of scientists and engineers and has instilled confidence in the global market through its significant achievements in information technology, professional services and communications in the past decade.

Green economy initiatives in India

•Bus Rapid Transit System Launched in October 2009, the 12.5-kilometer (7.8-mile) Phase 1 corridor has proven to be popular with citizens, and ridership remains higher than that on the previous bus system.

•National Action Plan on Climate Change India`s National Action Plan on Climate Change from 2008 is integrated into its 5-year development planning cycles.

•Natural Rural Employment Guarantee Act India`s Natural Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), launched in 2006, is a Guaranteed Wage Employment program implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. In its first two-and-a-half years, NREGA generated more than 3.5 billion days of work reaching an average 30 million families per year.

Green economy initiatives in Brazil

• Bolsa Floresta (The Forest Conservation Grant Fund) The Bolsa Floresta rewards traditional communities for their commitment to stop deforestation by distributing payments for ecosystem services to families, communities, and family associations.

• Sao Paulo Climate Change Policy (Sao Paulo City) In 2009, the Sao Paulo city council approved a law specifying greenhouse gas reduction. The policy aims to reduce Sao Paulo`s citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 30% of 2005 levels by 2012. Improvements of the air quality and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are expected.

• Solar Energy Legislation The experience of Belo Horizonte – Minas Gerais (MG) in drafting laws on the use of solar heaters and its participation in the Sustainable Construction Policies (PoliCS) project demonstrates the role of local governments in promoting renewable energies and sustainable policies.

Green economy initiatives in Australia

• Green Skills Agreement The Australian Green Skills Agreement (2009) seeks to build the capacity of the vocational education and training (VET) sector to deliver the skills for sustainability and is required in the workplace, and also to enable individuals, businesses and communities to adjust to and prosper in a sustainable, low-carbon economy.

• Phase-Out of Inefficient Incandescent Light Bulbs The Australian Government announced that all inefficient light bulbs will be phased out in favor of more efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

• The Clean Energy Legislative Package The Clean Energy Legislative Package includes the carbon pricing mechanism and delivers support for jobs and competitiveness and Australia`s economic growth, while reducing pollution. Households will be assisted through tax reforms and increased payments.

Green economy initiatives in China

• China`s National Climate Change Programme National Climate Change Programme issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in 2007 is the country`s first global warming policy initiative.

• Fuel Economy Standards In 2004 the Chinese government issued the first-ever national fuel economy standards for passenger cars.

• Green Jobs in China The principal objective of the green jobs programme in China is to assist the country in realising its potential for green jobs.

Green economy initiatives in Indonesia

• From mining to re-claiming spoilt lands The Bangka Botanical Garden (BBG) in Pangkalpinang municipality is an innovative example of corporate social responsibility that illustrates the potential for public private partnership. A public-private partnership transformed the spoilt land into a botanical garden.

• Indonesia`s Green Economy Corridor Initiative Indonesia is collaborating with the three UN-REDD Programme agencies - FAO, UNDP and UNEP- on the development of an action plan that links its REDD+ efforts with its overarching goal of transitioning into a Green Economy.

• Local water and soil conservation Limited water access and polluted rivers make it more difficult for Bogor municipality, a growing and dynamic city, to address the issue of water conservation. In 2004 Bogor municipality began to undertake a number of initiatives to strengthen its water and land conservation.

Green economy initiatives in Japan

• Fuel efficiency standard In 1999 the Japanese government adopted fuel efficiency standards based on the Top Runner Program pursuant to the Act concerning the Rational Use of Energy (Energy Conservation Act) and has gradually tightened regulations since then.

• Groundwater conservation: mineral water from taps In cooperation with neighboring municipalities, Kumamoto City has maintained groundwater recharge levels and protected watershed forests. By protecting the natural systems and conserving Kumamoto`s high-quality groundwater, the city can provide its citizens with high quality mineral water from taps.

• Tax mechanisms to conserve privately-owned green areas: Yokohama Greenery Plan The City of Yokohama is a large city with 3.7 million inhabitants. Its mountain forests and farmlands have decreased year by year due to urban development. To preserve precious green areas for its citizens, the city has introduced a new tax system. The city uses the revenues to conserve privately-owned green areas and their biodiversity and encourage citizens, corporations and developers to take part in the same.

Green economy initiatives in Russian Federation

• All-Russian competition “The most comfortable urban (rural) settlement” Stimulation of the local government`s activities and best practices dissemination in developing and improving housing and community-related services.

• Biodiversity Conservation in the Russian Portion of the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion Long-term conservation and sustainable management of globally significant biodiversity in the Russian part of the Altai-Sayan Region.

• Climate Doctrine of the Russian Federation A foundation for the development and implementation of a unified public policy of Russia at national and international levels on climate change issues.

• Conservation of Wetlands Biodiversity in the Lower Volga Region Protection of the globally significant wetland biodiversity of the Volga Delta.

Green economy initiatives in South Africa

• Carbon Tax South Africa instituted an ad valorem CO2 emissions tax on new passenger vehicles in 2010.

• South Africa`s New Growth Path - Green Economy Accord The Government and its social partners signed the Green Economy Accord on 17 November 2011 as an outcome of social dialogue on the New Growth Path.

• The Medium Term Strategic Framework South Africa has set The Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) for 2009-2014 to mitigate climate change.

• The National Framework for Sustainable Development The purpose of the National Framework for Sustainable Development is to enunciate South Africa`s national vision for sustainable development and indicate strategic interventions to re-orient South Africa`s development path in a more sustainable direction. It proposes a national vision, principles and areas for strategic intervention that will enable and guide the development of the national strategy and action plan.

By Deeksha Ahuja