Empowering SA youth to lead green tech revolution
SA needs a robust educational foundation that equips young people with the knowledge and practical skills needed to thrive in the green tech sectors.
As we strive to meet global climate targets, such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must do more than adopt available technologies at our disposal.
We must also ensure we equip our youth to shape, lead and own the solutions. Education and innovation are central to this effort.
With the global community far from achieving the goal of limiting global temperature rise to below 2°C of levels prior to the first industrial revolution, there is a need for urgent action. This urgency also presents an opportunity for South Africa’s youth to harness technological innovation in addressing climate change, creating jobs and contributing to sustainable development.
A recent Nature Journal report highlights 2024 as the first year to surpass the critical 1.5°C global temperature increase threshold, underlining the need for immediate, accelerated action to mitigate environmental degradation.
Similarly, the UN SDGs remain out of reach in South Africa and globally. While this reality is concerning, it is also an opportunity − one through which South Africa’s youth can drive change through technological innovation, job creation and sustainable development.
South Africa faces entrenched challenges. In a UN review, it noted there is a dire need to upskill workers in an economy with one of the highest unemployment rates across the world; officially the unemployment rate in South Africa is 32.9%, as reported during the first quarter of this year.
The so-called expanded rate, which includes those who have given up seeking gainful employment, is 43.1%, up 1.2 percentage points from a year ago. At the same time, we struggle to meet SDG targets on poverty, education, gender equality and institutional strength.
To unlock real progress, we must prioritise future-focused skills development. Technological advancements and innovations present significant economic potential.
The UN’s SDG report for South Africa emphasises the importance of aligning skills development with the labour market, suggesting that the development of green technology and the broader renewable energy sector are more than just enablers, as they are key levers for employment, entrepreneurship and climate resilience.
- HB Klopper for ITWeb
