We are living in interesting times as the world wakes up to a revolution and a new kind of thinking. Green growth has come to be a standard way for both developing and developed countries alike to use resources better and in more efficient ways.
As we clasp onto green economies, there is a need to develop new and innovative financial solutions to facilitate the growth of green technology. Many global reports now conclude that having the right kind of science, technologies and innovations is at the heart of sustainable development.
Africa, for example, has for long missed out on technologies and innovations chances that have seen other regions massively reaping gains. And in the face of this, we need to see much more commitment by our parliamentarians in investing in research institutions and efforts towards innovation and entrepreneurship.
The private sector and national government must work together to achieve technologically-proven solutions (products, processes, technologies) that help make better use of natural resources.
In order to change this, we need a serious reform of our priorities to those that would fast pace our economic issues. What better way than promoting policies that would boost business science, research and agricultural productivity?
Indeed good times are ahead, as $450 million being pledged between investors, green businesses, governments and other parties at the now concluding the 2013 Global South-South Development Expo. Many other promises were made, Kenya to build organic fertilizer factories and clean energy projects, solar power plants in Uganda and green businesses for women in Egypt. The UAE also pledged to host the first global conference on UN Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) in March 2014 in Dubai.
I am part of a proud team, spread across the world, that aided GSSD 2013 online popularity. GSSD has even trended on Twitter in Kenya using the hashtag #GSSD 13
Cheering us on,
“Still going strong. We’ve been trending in Kenya…again!” said Davide Piga, the UNEP knowledge specialist and coordinator of the Team.
“Meaning that the message of the value and growing scope of South-South cooperation reached the next generation of development practitioners, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, thinkers and leaders”. (UNEP)
So the challenge is now up to all of us to keep the conversation going beyond the expo, keep the stakeholders accountable to stay true to the promises and pledges made.
WAXSPELL 