There is an increasing realisation that development and poverty reduction efforts could be jeopardised by the impacts of climate change, hence many attempts have been made over the last few decades to develop integrated responses to both these challenges. The boldest of these attempts has to be the adoption of a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) this year by the 193-Member United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. According to the United Nations body, this revised agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity.

The SDGs aim to integrate environmental sustainability with economic development, and it’s not the first initiative of its kind. Many other programs around the world exist that were based on similar principles. One such related principle is based on the idea that environmental challenges like climate change represents not just a threat but an opportunity as well, particularly for developing countries.

Using technology to beat climate change

The World Bank through its InfoDev unit established the Climate Technology Program (CTP) to give effect to these ideas. The CTP is establishing a global network of business hubs – Climate Innovation Centers in developing countries around the world – to provide promising clean technology entrepreneurs with the knowledge, capital, and access to markets required to launch and grow their businesses. The success of these enterprises leads to emissions reduction and improved climate resiliency, while also enabling developing countries to capture greater value in the innovation value chain, build competitive sectors, and create jobs.

Some forward looking emerging economies like South Africa had also already begun the process of integrating economic development and environmental sustainability imperatives prior to the SDGs.

The Gauteng Provincial Government is also committed to the idea of a green economy. As part of this commitment, the province, through its Department of Economic Development collaborated with the World Bank to formally launch the Climate Innovation Centre South Africa (CICSA) in March 2015, as a new member of InfoDev’s Climate Technology Program. The CICSA is hosted and managed on behalf of the World Bank and Gauteng government by The Innovation Hub, Africa’s leading accredited science and technology park, and a subsidiary of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency, which is an agency of the Gauteng Department of Economic Development.

A home for innovation

“Green growth and green innovation have global and national dimensions that include international transfers of knowledge and skills, as well as access to the global green technology value chains” says McLean Sibanda, CEO of The Innovation Hub

The CICSA supports innovators, entrepreneurs, inventors, scientists and SMMEs with clean technology innovations and business models that provide climate change and sustainable environmental solutions to address local challenges. The CICSA currently supports about thirty clean tech entrepreneurs. “This is phenomenal progress in such a short space of time, and these exciting developments are setting the tone for a very positive future in SA’s Green Economy,” enthuses Sibanda.

With the numerous investments made by entities such as the Climate Innovation Centre, it is clear that whilst Africa and the rest of the developing world may still lag behind efforts within the Green Revolution, the green technology and other green innovation opportunities will not remain primarily in the domain of developed countries for much longer.