Johannesburg - Hundreds of delegates, currently meeting in Sandton for a Green Economy Summit, are expected to advise government on how it can contribute towards the development of the country's economy without endangering the environment.
The three-day summit, organised by the Environmental Affairs Department, draws together different government departments, civil organisations and the business sector with the hope of coming up with a plan required to advise South Africa to develop a sustainable development plan through green economy.
Government wants to half unemployment by 2014 and to achieve this at least 700 000 jobs would need to be created each year. Experts who are attending the summit say government will have to move with speed to address and work in a coordinated manner to ensure that it uses green economy as part of economic growth and creation of jobs.
A joint task team has been set up to develop a plan that will help government achieve rapid job creation through the long term greening of the economy.
Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor, who is part of the task team, said of the areas that will need to be addressed is the need to remove policy barriers that hamper progress to viable green economy.
Solar water heating is one of the key energy response measures that are expected to be highlighted at the summit.
President Jacob Zuma recently launched government's Solar Water Heating Programme as part of government's target of installing at least one million solar water heaters by 2014 to reduce the water heating load on the national grid
Pandor affirmed that the long term greening of the economy needs new thinking that will ensure the economy is transformed while also addressing production and consumption issues. She said there is a strong commitment across government at policy level to develop local content in government procurement as a means of encouraging knowledge intensive and sustainable economy.
"It is clear that high-tech innovations will help employment grow over the long term as new technology spreads throughout the economy and transforms other larger sectors," said Pandor.
Zuma is expected to share government's plans on the move to green economy when he addresses the summit later on Tuesday
