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Cosatu, business back govt’s Green Accord

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:29

Government’s all-inclusive Green Economy Accord, signed by various roleplayers has won the support of its key partners, including the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).

The agreement aims to create 30 000 jobs in the green economy sector in the next 10 years. Business has committed to creating 50 000 jobs.

Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said they were excited about the Accord, which would see the country relying less on the capital-intensive mining sector and more on manufacturing in order to create jobs.

“The train is turning slowly [in] the right direction… we like the direction the train is facing,” he said.

Vavi was one of the high profile delegates who signed the groundbreaking Accord in Cape Town. Others included Cabinet ministers and government’s social partners.

He said that while the 300 000 jobs target might seem small, this was going to be a platform for more job generation in future.

In support of the agreement, he said Cosatu would establish work-based committees to educate workers on saving energy as well as green retirement investments.

Vavi said the Accord was in line with government’s New Growth Path, which sought to create five million jobs in the next 10 years.

Cabinet ministers also showed their commitment to the Accord, with Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson saying it offered investment and job opportunities in the bio-fuels sector.

She highlighted that this sector would not compromise the country’s food security. As an example, she said that sorghum, sugar-beet and jatropha could be used to make bio-fuels.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said they would invest billions of rands in improving the passenger rail system to ensure that people move away from travelling by cars to using trains.

The Transport Department would also improve the freight rail system to ensure that more goods were transported in that system instead of roads, which caused accidents and congestion.

Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said they were pulling together Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) and universities to ensure that their projects supported the green economy.

He said the National Skills Accord, which he recently signed, was being used to increase the number of artisans.

Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said they were committed to ensure that the Accord was a success in growing the economy.

The country generated 90 percent of its energy from coal and the Energy Department was promoting the move to “clean coal”. One way of doing that was Carbon Capture and Storage.

The department is in talks with the National Economic Development and Labour Council to reduce the price of electricity in the country.

“We are hosting a workshop today to review electricity pricing,” said Peters, adding that the recommendations would then be tabled before Cabinet. – BuaNews