National Academy on Green Economy South Africa

Transcription

1 National Academy on Green Economy South Africa TITLE: GOVERNANCE AND JUST TRANSITION TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (Elective 1) LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of the elective, participants will be able to: Promote the Just Transition concept, by reviewing the underlying principles and approaches promoted through the ILO Guidelines as well as by other international and national organisations; Present some examples of world of work action in the promotion of just transition and sharing experiences among different economic sectors; Discuss key issues and strategies to achieve a shift towards a more sustainable model of production that create jobs and social inclusion opportunities; Analyse challenges and opportunities for the generation of decent work in a low-carbon future and implications at provincial level in South Africa; Share information within their own organisations on case studies, practical tools and successful approaches promoted in South Africa and in elsewhere. BACKGROUND Addressing climate change is critical to the economic, social and environmental interests of everybody. Ambitious mitigation and adaptation policies and actions are fundamental if we want to leave future generations a sustainable and habitable world and are prerequisite if we want current global social and development goals to be achieved, as outlined in the 2030 Agenda. These policies and actions must be fairly shared and distributed between and within countries, taking into account their level of responsibility with the problem and with their capacity to act. A just transition towards a low carbon economy is possible, and it can make climate action a driver for sustainable economic growth and social progress. We need to transform the economy and we need a process aimed at transforming every economic sector into a sustainable one. Followed by a resolution and a set of conclusions concerning sustainable development, decent work and green jobs by the International Labour Conference in 2013, the ILO Governing Body adopted a set of Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies in These Guidelines, endorsed by Governments, employers' and workers organizations, provide practical orientation to Governments and social partners on how to formulate, implement and monitor a policy framework for a Just Transition. For the International trade union movement, just transition is a key tool to ensure that measures adopted to shift towards a more sustainable global society and economy are justice-based and that a green economy will be an engine of decent jobs creation and will provide sustainable livelihoods for all. The

2 international trade union movement demands and is committed to supporting ambitious actions aimed at combating climate change while shifting growth towards a truly sustainable development, where social welfare and broader environmental challenges are equally addressed. At the same time, coherent policies across the economic, environmental, social, education/training and labour portfolios need to provide an enabling environment also for enterprises and investors to embrace and drive the transition towards environmentally sustainable and inclusive economies and societies. There is no one size fits all. Policies and programmes need to be designed by consensus and in line with the specific conditions of countries and provinces, taking into account their development plans, economic sectors and types and sizes of enterprises. Sustainable development is only possible with the active engagement of the world of work and civil society organisations. Governments, employers and workers are not passive bystanders, but rather agents of change, who are able to develop new ways of working that safeguard the environment. Strong social consensus on the goal and pathways to sustainability is fundamental. Social dialogue has to be an integral part of the institutional framework for policymaking and implementation at all levels. Adequate, informed and ongoing consultation should take place with all relevant stakeholders. METHODOLOGY This elective will include presentations and interventions from ILO constituents and other organisations active in the promotion of governance and just transition initiatives in the framework of climate change action and sustainable development policies. Besides generating awareness and knowledge sharing on the just transition principles and approaches, the speakers will facilitate access to concrete case studies and tools that can be instrumental for the promotion of transition processes at provincial and local level, involving both public and private sector, as well as civil society, organisations. CONTENTS AND STRUCTURE OF THE SESSIONS Day 1 10:30 10:40 Ice-breaker and introduction of presenters and participants Alice Vozza and Najma Mohamed 10:40 11:15 Presentation: understanding the Just Transition concept and its relevance for South Africa ILO ILO - Context setting and Framing of a Just Transition in South Africa (Najma Mohamed); - Overview of the ILO Guidelines (Alice Vozza) - Q&As (for clarification, as open discussion will follow in the format of fish-bowl)

3 11:15 12:30 Fish-bowl: Perspectives of social partners on opportunities and challenges for a JT in SA Contributions from: Ms Mapula Tshangela, Acting Chief Director, Environmental Management, EDTEA Employers representative Ms Ellen Davies, Project Manager, Extractives Industry in the Policy and Futures Unit at the WWF-SA Workers representative Mr Gaylor Montmasson-Clair, TIPS MODERATED PANEL Government, Workers, Employers, WWF, TIPS All participants in the elective will participate in the fish-bowl discussion. 12:30 12:45 Fish-bowl recap: Visualizing a Just Transition in SA what are the key principles that should be included in transition planning and design to ensure that it is just, and provide examples of best practice? Day 2 10:30 10:40 Recap from Day 1 10:40 11:30 Learning Stations: Making just transition happen - Enterprise development, Najma Mohamed - Sustainable Public Procurement, Ellen Davies, WWF - Promoting a Green Economy Coalition, Gaylor Montmasson- Clair, TIPS 11:30 12:30 Break-out group works: Design a JT strategy(ies) for an inclusive transition in one economic sector (extractive industry, waste, energy, transport, built environment, agriculture, ) WWF, TIPS, ILO (each facilitating a discussion on one sector) 12:30 12:45 Reporting back and conclusions

4 RESOURCE PERSONS Najma Mohamed, Senior Climate and Environmental Specialist Najma Mohamed is a Senior Climate and Environmental Specialist with multisectoral experience in mainstreaming climate, environment and sustainable development principles in development policies, projects and programmes. More recently, she has focused on the implications of climate change for the world of work, and on key themes including: just and inclusive transitions, green jobs and skills, and enterprise development - within the ambit of both climate adaptation and mitigation. She holds a BSc Honours and Masters in Environmental and Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town and a PhD in Curriculum Studies focusing on EcoJustice Education from Stellenbosch University. Najma is active in communicating on environment, climate and development issues and has published widely. She is an invited guest speaker and facilitator at local and international events, and is a member of the WE- Africa Network. Mapula Tshangela, Senior Policy Advisor, KwaZulu-Natal Province Ms Mapula Tshangela is currently the Senior Policy Advisor: National Sustainable Development with the South African National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA). She is also seconded as the Acting Chief Director Environmental Management with the KZN Province Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs. She was part of the team that managed the first national green economy summit in 2010, and subsequent conceptualization of the national green fund till established in She was previously Director: Cabinet & Cluster Policy Coordination and Deputy Director: Pollution and Waste Information. Before joining DEA in 2007, Ms Tshangela was with Eskom electricity enterprise from 1997, working in power generation, distribution and corporate head office positions including as Senior Environmental Advisor, Environmental Practitioner and Chemical Laboratory Technician covering areas related to waste, air quality, sustainability performance, impact assessment, environmental management systems, water cycle chemistry, chemicals analysis and quality management. Among other professional roles, Ms Tshangela is also the Chairperson of the SEED South Africa Steering Committee and a Board member of SEED global. She is a Research Associate of the Africa Centre for Evidence, University of Johannesburg s as well as a Board member of the Council for Build Environment.

5 Ellen Davies, Project Manager, Extractives Industry at the World Wide Fund for Nature, South Africa (WWF-SA). She leads the organisations mining and nuclear energy work. She has a keen interest in understanding the link between environmental sustainability and economic development. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences, a Bachelor of Law and Honours degree in Economics. She is currently completing her Masters in Development Theory and Policy at the School of Economic and Business Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand. Gaylor Montmasson-Clair, Senior Economist Sustainable Growth, Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS). Gaylor Montmasson-Clair is a Senior Economist at Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), a South-Africa-based economic policy think-tank, where he leads work on Sustainable Growth. He holds a Master s degree in International Affairs from the Grenoble Institute of Political Studies, France as well as a Master s degree in Energy and Environment Economics from the Grenoble Faculty of Economics, France. Alice Vozza, Green Jobs Specialist, ITCILO Alice coordinates the Green Jobs area of expertise at the ITCILO. She has been working for the ITCILO since 2006 in charge of designing and implementing capacity building activities and projects on local development, sustainable development and disaster risk reduction, and more recently on green jobs in the framework of the ILO's Green Jobs Programme. Between 2010 and 2012 she was based in Kenya to coordinate a EU-funded project on private sector development in East Africa and Ghana. Before joining the ILO, she lived and studied in France, Spain and the UK where she also worked for private enterprises and consultancy firms. She holds a master degree in Management of Development (ITCILO), a master in Business Management (ESCP, Paris) and a degree in Political Science (University of Turin, Italy).

6 BACKGROUND READINGS - Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all - Developmental States and Sustainability Transitions: Prospects of a Just Transition in South Africa - Inclusive Green Growth in South Africa: Selected case studies - UNECA - A Just Transition to a Low-Carbon and Climate Resilient Economy - COSATU - Is South Africa Operating in a Safe and Just Space? - OXFAM - A Discussion of Systemic Challenges for a Just Transition Towards a Low Carbon Economy - WWF