South Africa has one the largest economies in sub-Saharan Africa and the highest CO2 emissions in African (Tyler et al., 2013). In South Africa, development is the main priority and it is possible that South Africa can alleviate poverty and inequality within two decades (NPC, 2011; Pan, 2005). To achieve development goals requires large greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, South Africa cannot pursue the paths of development that we have now. There is a need to integrate climate and development, the question is: do you put climate or development first?
Development priorities for South Africa
Development is a key priority for developing countries such as South Africa because it is essential to meet the growing needs of a population (Winkler et al., 2012). South Africa has several fundamental development objectives, which incorporate the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The MDGs of South Africa aim to (RSA, 2013):
1. Alleviate poverty and hunger
2. Provide primary education for all
3. Promote gender equality
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV and AIDs and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
In order to achieve these goals, employment, inequality, economic growth, food security and improved access to energy services (mainly electrification), transport, drinking water, education, health services and land have to be addressed (NPC, 2011; Winkler et al., 2012). South Africa’s main challenges are unemployment, poverty and inequality (D.o.E, 2010; Rennkamp, 2013).
The National Planning Commission prioritized to reduce poverty and inequalities as the main development objective in its National Development Pl...
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Pegels, A., 2010. Renewable energy in South Africa: potential barriers and options for support. Energy Policy, 38, pp.4945-54.
NPC, 2011. National Development Plan. Pretoria: NPC National Planning Commission.
Rennkamp, B., 2012. South African approaches to MRV of Mitigation Actions: The case of installing solar water heaters. Cape Town: MAPT University of Cape Town. MAPT Insitutions Case Study Series.
As we human beings have entered the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch dominated by humanity. The relentless pressure we have put on our planet has increased daily at a speedy pace, which has resulted in an unprecedented destabilization of climate change. What’s worse, our disagreement with climate change has left the planet in an even more dangerous crisis. The economic imbalance between the developed countries and the developing countries, lack of the awareness of sustainable development and are the two main obstacles stand on the way. In order to solve these problems respectively, we should take actions towards sharing and exchange of natural resources between rich and poor and regard climate change as a common first priority, and promoting the realization of the responsibility for sustainable development as a precaution for the future climate change.
It is time to push harder for renewable power, but to push in a smarter way. Recent advances have made wind and solar power more competitive than ever. Now, for renewable power to reach its potential the world’s approach to it will have to grow up, too. Governments will have to redesign their renewable-power polic...
There has been advancements on many fronts to make economical and financial viability assessment for Renewable Energy Projects possible, including (but not limited to) production costs (e.g.McAloon, F. Taylor, Yee, Ibsen, & Wooley, 2000); transportation costs (Batidzirai, 2005; Overend, 1982; Searcy et al., 2007); capital costs (Bridgwater & Double, 1991; Gallagher, Schamel, Shapouri, & Brubaker, 2006); resources availability (Graf & Koehler, 2002); environmental performance (Von Blottnitz & Curran, 2007; Taheripour, Hertel, Tyner, Beckman, & Birur, 2008; Pimentel & Patzek, 2007); regional socio-economic development (Swenson & Eathington, 2006), and organizational costs (Altman & Johnson, 2008).
The world has undoubtedly been booming and has become more prosperous; however, growth has been inconsistent in the global scale. Tackling theses inconsistencies cannot be resolved by development alone, but consistent measures have to be taken. Unemployment and underemployment are at the core of poverty. Eradicating poverty altogether has been the ethical, social, political and economic goal. It can only be realized by taking a multidimensional approach combined with strategies and plans for the people living in poverty that meets their basic needs and empowers them.
When measuring the challenged faced by these countries, it is important to recognize that speaking on their development and the elimination of poverty entails looking beyond the economic scope. This complicates our understanding of growth and development emphasizing the fact that development does not only emcompasse economic growth & rising incomes but that it is not severable from social, political and cultural
Every year many people across the planet are displaced due to climate change. Unfortunately, the most effected by climate change are those from poor nations. For instance, Sudan has hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes due to climate change. Additionally, double victimization to climate change is occurring, because people most affected by climate change also live in poverty. Many are powerless to combat the effects of climate change and cannot cope with its effects. Yet, the people that suffer the most from climate change are those that are least responsible to emission
In order to address climate change, the Kyoto protocol had one main goal: for Annex 1 countries (countries considered to have a developed economy) to decrease their anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by 5% compared to their 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012 (“The Kyoto Protocol”, 1). This
Article 1 It is about the development bank of Southern Africa. It is helping by supporting the local government sector in South Africa with financing and implementation of infrastructure projects. Its helps with infrastructure for new building as well as refurbishment. Its responsibility is providing basic salary services such as water, sanitation, electrification, waste management and roads to local communities. Increasing levels to access to grid based on electricity as well as clean portable wate...
Betey C. B. and Godfred E. 2013. Environmental Impact Assessment and Sustainable Development in Africa: A Critical Review. Vol. 3, No. 2. Canadian Center of Science and Education.
Some of the world’s poorest countries, with some of the highest child labor and illiteracy rates lie in Sub Saharan Africa. People generally associate the region only with poor economic conditions and all of the social disorder that goes along with 3rd World Status. While some of this reputation is deserved, many people are also failing to see the vast potential for this part of the world. There are several factors that African governments should look into if they want to effectively and efficiently revamp this areas quality of life. One way to do so is by improving the more crucial aspects to healthy functioning region, for example, allowing children to possess their natural rights to a decent education. This could influence an increase in opportunities for economic growth and is therefore a key essential for poverty reduction (BMZ). However, there are many other factors contributing to the continuous complications this area is currently experiencing. In order for Sub Saharan Africa to fully develop and become an economically viable region, it must first address its over growing population crisis, prevent the HIV/AIDS epidemic and thoroughly improve its educational systems.
First the first thing that I am going to do is define renewable energy “renewable energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, wind,rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat¹ .So by this definition of renewable energy i would classify solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, bioenergy,green power, ocean energy, hydrogen and fuel cell, hydro power all of these energy types are all renewable but are relatively expensive compared to our main source of electricity, fossil fuels that make up more than 77% of South Africa’s needed energy.
Climate change brings with it heat waves, unfamiliar rainfalls patterns and warm weather to parts that usually have cold weather. It causes death in animals, plants and humans. There are many species that could go extinct due to the loss of their habitats and the change of ecosystems, certainly for those whose habitats are completely destroyed due to change in climate, heavy rains and drought. It is known that humans are contributing to climate change in various way; these include air pollution, releasing gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Climate change is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, deforestation and the manufacturing of most products, chemicals and metal. Some ways in which climate change is affecting South Africa and the rest of the world include; the temperatures of the oceans are rising, ice in the Artic is melting, sea levels are rising, and change in weather patterns throughout the
According to Collier & Dollar, (2001) economic growth is normally dependent on the nature and quality of economic policies that a country implements. In South Africa, soon after apartheid the government have tried to wrestle with the multiple objectives which are namely to reduce poverty, increase employment, increase international trade as well as increasing the rate of economic growth. According to Mohr et al, (2015) the macroeconomic objectives are used to assess the performance of the economy. The five macroeconomic objectives that will be discussed in this assignment are firstly the economic growth, full employment, price stability, balance of payments and equitable distribution of income. The assignment will then evaluate each of the objectives of macroeconomic growth and asses where South Africa as a country is performing on each of these respective points.
Also the economic implications of higher education in South Africa. International countries are difference in some aspect, because many of them are not developed nations like the United States. The for nonformal education is not as important as informal education. In developing country some of the hands on skills are consider more valuable because of the direct impact on the economic situation of the direct citizen. South Africa like many of developing countries must see the need in higher education and invest in the economic development of its people. With the continued investment in higher education, the different classes of society will continue to grow, especially the middle class. The development in technological resources that would not only change the country’s economic
These key programmes are: meeting basic needs, developing our human resources, democratising the state and society, building the economy. There have been many successes with regards to implementing the Reconstruction and Development program. Three years into the program, there were many changes in the lives of the South Africans in rural areas. Free healthcare has been provided for women and children around the country. A nutrition project had reached over 12,000 schools in the country. With regards to health care, 550 clinics had been built and about 2500 were being reconstructed and improved. 1.3 million Electrical connections were made and 1 million water connections were made. In the year 2010; 2,376,675 households around South Africa were provided with houses with running water, sanitation and electricity. It is through providing these houses that job opportunities have been provided for the people. The Reconstruction and Development program aims at working together with the people to achieve the goals that have been set out. This has been achieved because the in the rural areas are the ones who are working on the project. They have a better source of income and at the same time they are working at meeting their basic needs which are housing, electricity and