| introduction |
| background |
| role of cities |
| SA and the GCR |
| green initiatives |
| food |
| solar energy |
| energy efficiency |
| CSP |
| water and sanitation |
| waste |
| mobilising the region |
introduction |
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| In 2009, GCRO investigated how cities and city-regions around the world were responding to the global financial crisis. Research indicated that initiatives to create green jobs and invest in a low carbon future have been key to counter-cyclical spending worldwide. As a result, Gauteng's Department of Economic Development asked GCRO to draft a green economy strategy to feed into the evolving Gauteng Growth Employment and Development Strategy. GCRO co-ordinated the project, and the result was a green sustainability strategy for the province. Gauteng's main green challenge is to move away from environmentally unsustainable ways of working and create jobs while doing so. Gauteng contributes significantly to the country's carbon footprint through its manufacturing and mining sectors, as well as the provision of coal-based electricity to a constantly growing population. In this section we review the main challenges the Gauteng city-region faces in moving towards a low-carbon economy, the main drivers of such a shift, and what we can do - in the short and longer-term - to wean ourselves off fossil-fuel-based energies and implement alternative energy strategies, to promote sustainable development, enhance our global competitiveness and fulfill our international obligations. |
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