Green Communities Have A Vital Role In Economic Growth And Development

One of the most frequently parroted narratives you’ll hear when it comes to rolling out any green initiatives in Africa is that doing so puts much-needed growth at risk. In the run-up to COP 28, which takes place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 30 November to 12 December, it’s an argument that will likely crop up again.
Historically, it hasn’t been one without merit either. African countries are, after all, reportedly responsible for just four percent of global emissions. Given that they’ve contributed so little to the climate crisis, the argument goes, why should they be expected to slash their emissions, potentially at the cost of growth and development, even as developed countries continue to push large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?
Such arguments miss out on one big point, however. And that’s that green initiatives, incentives, and policies don’t have to come at the cost of development. The opposite is true. The right green projects, particularly in the renewable energy space, can fuel growth and drive development. Moreover, such projects can sit at the heart of green communities that fuel further, sustained growth.
Africa’s big, green opportunity
Before looking at how that might happen, it’s worth looking at how big some of the green opportunities in Africa are.
Take the agricultural sector, for example. According to a study by the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), adopting things like organic farming, precision agriculture, and agroforestry could help enhance productivity, minimize human impacts on nature, and avoid food insecurity. The study additionally reveals that there is a US$1 trillion opportunity in digital agribusiness technologies across the continent and combating soil erosion and nutrient depletion can unlock US$62.4 billion in value annually.
Perhaps the biggest green opportunities for the continent, however, lie in renewable energy. One obvious opportunity lies in the solar space. Africa is, after all, home to 60% of the world’s best solar resources but just one percent of installed capacity, according to the International Energy Agency. In addition to the cheap, renewable energy that making more extensive use of those resources would offer, launching extensive solar programs should also unlock immense value in areas like skills development and job creation.
The potential value is even greater when those solar resources are combined with other untapped renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal resources according to the UNEP, they could increase the continent’s GDP by 6.4% from 2021 to 2050, and generate anywhere from 100% to 400% of current global energy demand. Even with Africa’s predicted population growth, that means there’s a significant opportunity for Africa to become a net exporter of clean energy.
There are also significant opportunities to build the circular economies that many believe are crucial to humanity’s future survival and welfare. Circular economy initiatives could help reduce plastic waste and pollution, unveil new forms of sustainable packaging, and enhance recycling, including for eWaste.
Vital action is being taken, but communities must be centered
Fortunately, more and more roleplayers across Africa are realising the positive impact that green initiatives, policies, and practices can have. More than 40 African states, for instance, were revising their national climate plans in 2022 to be more ambitious and outline greater commitments to climate adaptation and mitigation measures.
Additionally, several major African cities have embraced sustainability. The Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022, which measures urban sustainability across cities, ranks Nairobi at 96 out of 100 global cities. The country’s Vision 2030 roadmap has sustainability at its core in making the country achieve middle-income status in the next seven years.
Further down in South Africa, Cape Town has been a leader in exploring biofuels for transport, renewables in public facilities, and preparing its power grid for a surge in electric vehicles. Abidjan’s Cocody suburb, meanwhile, has committed to cutting its carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 through the extensive use of solar power and energy-efficient stoves.
While such commitments and initiatives are vital, governments cannot fund them on their own. It’s estimated that Africa requires US$2.8 trillion to fulfill its commitments under the Paris Agreement. That makes the role of investors critical.
But those investors cannot simply provide funding and hope for the best. Communities must always be at the heart of their investments, with their long-term welfare given equal footing at least to profit. To do otherwise is to risk failed projects, lose community buy-in, and ultimately give in to the narratives that claim green projects don’t benefit ordinary Africans.
As one of those investors, we recognize that understanding and responding to climate change is a journey that requires ongoing learning, training, and a revision of our current investment process and ESG screening processes to ensure climate change is not only priced into our investments but also factored into our impact monitoring and management process.
As investors in Africa, we need to be agile and equip our clients with the necessary skills and resources to implement climate adaptation and mitigation measures that ensure the sustainability of their businesses and create the desired impact.
Unleashing a green revolution
Ultimately then, it should be clear that there’s little merit to arguments that Africa cannot develop unless it uses the same carbon-intensive methods as other global regions. A sustainability-focused shift can unlock massive amounts of value that drive growth and development. And, if the green projects driving that shift are community-oriented, the impacts can be even bigger.
Read Also: Equity Bank Brings Together Experts And Investors To Champion For Green Growth
By Kuda Mukova, Head of Impact and Sustainability
About Soko Directory Team
Soko Directory is a Financial and Markets digital portal that tracks brands, listed firms on the NSE, SMEs and trend setters in the markets eco-system. Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/SokoDirectory and on Twitter: twitter.com/SokoDirectory
- January 2025 (118)
- February 2025 (69)
- January 2024 (238)
- February 2024 (227)
- March 2024 (190)
- April 2024 (133)
- May 2024 (157)
- June 2024 (145)
- July 2024 (136)
- August 2024 (154)
- September 2024 (212)
- October 2024 (255)
- November 2024 (196)
- December 2024 (143)
- January 2023 (182)
- February 2023 (203)
- March 2023 (322)
- April 2023 (298)
- May 2023 (268)
- June 2023 (214)
- July 2023 (212)
- August 2023 (257)
- September 2023 (237)
- October 2023 (264)
- November 2023 (286)
- December 2023 (177)
- January 2022 (293)
- February 2022 (329)
- March 2022 (358)
- April 2022 (292)
- May 2022 (271)
- June 2022 (232)
- July 2022 (278)
- August 2022 (253)
- September 2022 (246)
- October 2022 (196)
- November 2022 (232)
- December 2022 (167)
- January 2021 (182)
- February 2021 (227)
- March 2021 (325)
- April 2021 (259)
- May 2021 (285)
- June 2021 (272)
- July 2021 (277)
- August 2021 (232)
- September 2021 (271)
- October 2021 (304)
- November 2021 (364)
- December 2021 (249)
- January 2020 (272)
- February 2020 (310)
- March 2020 (390)
- April 2020 (321)
- May 2020 (335)
- June 2020 (327)
- July 2020 (333)
- August 2020 (276)
- September 2020 (214)
- October 2020 (233)
- November 2020 (242)
- December 2020 (187)
- January 2019 (251)
- February 2019 (215)
- March 2019 (283)
- April 2019 (254)
- May 2019 (269)
- June 2019 (249)
- July 2019 (335)
- August 2019 (293)
- September 2019 (306)
- October 2019 (313)
- November 2019 (362)
- December 2019 (318)
- January 2018 (291)
- February 2018 (213)
- March 2018 (275)
- April 2018 (223)
- May 2018 (235)
- June 2018 (176)
- July 2018 (256)
- August 2018 (247)
- September 2018 (255)
- October 2018 (282)
- November 2018 (282)
- December 2018 (184)
- January 2017 (183)
- February 2017 (194)
- March 2017 (207)
- April 2017 (104)
- May 2017 (169)
- June 2017 (205)
- July 2017 (189)
- August 2017 (195)
- September 2017 (186)
- October 2017 (235)
- November 2017 (253)
- December 2017 (266)
- January 2016 (164)
- February 2016 (165)
- March 2016 (189)
- April 2016 (143)
- May 2016 (245)
- June 2016 (182)
- July 2016 (271)
- August 2016 (247)
- September 2016 (233)
- October 2016 (191)
- November 2016 (243)
- December 2016 (153)
- January 2015 (1)
- February 2015 (4)
- March 2015 (164)
- April 2015 (107)
- May 2015 (116)
- June 2015 (119)
- July 2015 (145)
- August 2015 (157)
- September 2015 (186)
- October 2015 (169)
- November 2015 (173)
- December 2015 (205)
- March 2014 (2)
- March 2013 (10)
- June 2013 (1)
- March 2012 (7)
- April 2012 (15)
- May 2012 (1)
- July 2012 (1)
- August 2012 (4)
- October 2012 (2)
- November 2012 (2)
- December 2012 (1)