Africa-Press – Eswatini. In order to grow their economies through industrialisation without externalising the negative environmental costs of development, member states have no choice but to pursue green industrialisation.
This was an observation by acting Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Antonio M.A. Pedro during the 28th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Senior Officials and Experts of Southern Africa (ICSOE) held under the theme ‘Greening Industrialisation in Southern Africa through digitalisation, infrastructure development and regional integration: leveraging AfCFTA implementation’ in Maputo, Mozambique yesterday.
Making his remarks during the two-day meeting attended by ECA member states, the executive secretary noted that in order to accelerate green industrialisation, the region needed infrastructure that was resilient and fit for purpose.
Interlinked
He stated that the current conditions of enabling infrastructure like ports, interlinked highways and feeder roads were not sufficient.
“Unreliable electricity and prolonged blackouts being experienced in many members states in the region need urgent attention if the dream of green industrialisation will have to be realised,” he said.
Reflecting on the environment in which nations find themselves in today as they push towards Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Africa they want as encapsulated in Agenda 2063, the executive director said it was the reminder of the imperative of climate change, whose effects have not spared the region of the vagaries of natural disasters and droughts, that compelled the focus of the discussion over the two-day meeting.
“These events are a constant reminder to what is at stake for the region as a whole but also for our countries, individually,” he said.
He noted that there were many unanswered questions on the feasibility of green industrialisation in Southern Africa, particularly in terms of sustaining growth and the conditions under which this might best happen.
“It is, therefore, my expectation that this meeting will start to provide answers to these difficult questions. As we do so, we must bring into the centre of our discussions how to ensure that the sub-region is industrialising in a green and sustainable way; while addressing decisively with the region’s growing need for cost effective sources of energy.
“More than ever, our nations have to grapple with a just energy transition if we are to have any chance to green our industrial processes at the scale required,” he said.
Urgent
He stated that one potential solution to the urgent challenge of accelerating green industrialisation and diversifying the economies of the region in a manner that mitigates the impact of climate change was through digitalisation.
He said digitalisation was likely to change established economic development processes with large efficiency gains all round.
The acting executive director further stated that, while there was widespread agreement on the need for industrialisation that leads to transformation, Southern Africa as a region had so far had very mixed experiences of industrialisation.
“In addition, a lack of economic diversification and a narrow export basket comprising mostly of commodities undermines the region’s resilience to shocks whether economic, climatic, pandemic or war driven, impacting on the economic fundamentals exacerbating vulnerability to poverty, inequalities and social cohesion.
Inequality
“Industrialisation still holds the promise for jobs, increased productivity, inequality and poverty reduction that this region desperately needs. We have hundreds of thousands of young people joining the labour market every year, which is both an opportunity but also a challenge if not well managed.
“A reality we have to grapple with a sense of urgency,” he said.
He added that the case for industrialisation to respond to the region’s most pressing issues was therefore made as the surest way out of joblessness, inequalities, poverty and a lack of resilience against shocks.
Ultimate
“Economic and technological transformation are the ultimate goals of the industrialisation process and should therefore should underpin all the interventions in the countries,” he said.
He also stated that ECA recognised that the needs for inclusive and green industrial policies were many but was committed to using as many platforms as possible available to mobilise support for this ambitious goal in order to unleash the full potential of the member states.
Meanwhile, Ambassador in African Union Southern Africa Regional Office David Claude Pierre stated that the theme this year was not only in line with agenda 2030, but also with the African Union’s renewed determination and commitment to industrialisation, as one of the central pillars in attaining the continent’s economic growth and development goals as articulated in Africa’s Master Plan for its transformation into a future Global Powerhouse, which is Agenda 2063.
Tremendous
“It is a well-known fact that the AU places tremendous importance to industrialisation and economic transformation in Africa, and as evidence, in the next few weeks, the African Union will hold the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government on Industrialisation, Economic Diversification and the AfCFTA, which is scheduled to take place in Niamey, Niger, from November 20-25,” he said.
The ambassador said the summit was expected to provide a renewed high level political resolve and commitment to accelerate Africa’s Industrialisation by taking advantage of the advances made on the AfCFTA provisions to drive the continent towards structural transformation and by also leveraging on the diverse natural resources while embracing advanced technologies, digitalisation and infrastructure development.
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