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- Janet Wilhelm
Project provides support for local green SMMEs
Engineering News - 22 October 2021 by Simone Liedtke
Workers at the bottom rung bear brunt of job losses
Business Day - 18 October 2021 by Neva Makgetla (TIPS Senior Economist)
Water and sanitation sustainability in South Africa: Past, present, and future
This paper provides a barometer of the country’s transition to sustainable development, paying special attention to water, as well as its Siamese twin "sanitation”. It has three main themes, namely: the water gap; household water and sanitation access; and governance and funding issues in the sector.
Making sense of jobs in South Africa’s just energy transition: Managing the impact of a coal transition on employment
SUMMARY: As the reality of a coal transition and coal power decommissioning draw nearer, South Africa’s just transition plan is both urgent and glaringly absent. There is a pressing need to manage the impacts of the transition on workers and local economic development, particularly in coal-dependent regions and affected communities. This policy brief speaks to the current policy vacuum, proposing steps to address it. It considers the implications of the coal transition for employment in South Africa, with reference to national policy and available research. It then seeks to characterise the key issues, points of contestation, and the current just transition/employment policy vacuum.
KEY FINDING / RECOMMENDATIONS: South Africa is in critical need of a just transition plan to manage the process of the coal transition. This policy brief makes three propositions how to move forward. 1) A credible fact base must be established by facilitating collaboration between researchers from different stakeholder groups. A significant amount of work has been done on just transition jobs by the government, research organisations, labour unions, civil society organisations.All the known and unknown facts about the coal transition should be mapped and made widely accessible. 2) The political trade-offs must be clearly defined. A robust process of engagement across levels of government and across stakeholders shouldidentify these trade-offs and unpack the socio-economic costs and benefits. 3) The hard decisions must be followed up with decisive action. While the coal transition is inevitable, support for vulnerable workers and communities is not. This requires movement between stakeholders with different priorities and rationales.
Green wheels: The future’s electric — but South Africa’s late out of the starting blocks
Daily Maverick - 13 October 2021 by Ethan van Diemen
Cult of secrecy is at the heart of the rot in government
Business Day - 4 October 2021 by Neva Makgetla (TIPS Senior Economist)
South Africa miners back gradual move away from coal-fired power
Bloomberg - 27 September
History counts when measuring performance in municipalities
Business Day - 20 September 2021 by Neva Makgetla (TIPS Senior Economist)
Quality Infrastructure and Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery
The TIPS Development Dialogue seminar on Quality Infrastructure and Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery provided an overview of the importance of Quality Infrastructure in industrial development, and looked at international experiences and the role of these institutions. The recording of the seminar and copies of the presentations are available here.
Quality Infrastructure and Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery
Presentations
Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke - Partner at Mesopartner
Presentation: Global trends in Quality Infrastructure
Eduardo Trajano Gadret - Researcher-Technologist in Metrology and Qualith at INMENTO
Presentation: Quality Infrastructure in Brazil
Martin Chesire - Chief Executive Officer at Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS)
Presentation: Quality Infrastructure in Kenya
Programme
14:00: Facilitator opens the seminar: Saul Levin
14:05: Opening remarks Tshenge Demana: Quality Infrastructure in support of industrial development
14:10-14:20 Global trends in Quality Infrastructure: Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke
14:20-14:45 Presentations on international experience in Quality Infrastructure institutional role:
- Eduardo Trajano Gadret: QI in Brazil
- Martin Chesire: QI in Kenya
14:45-15:15 Discussion and engagement on how experiences of QI development could enrich South Africa in the context of Post-COVID-19 economic recovery
15:15 Closure
Background
South Africa’s industrial policy aims to bring about a change in the structure of the economy to put the economy on a more inclusive, industrialised and sustainable path. Quality Infrastructure (QI) institutions (SABS, NMISA, NRCS, and SANAS) are part and parcel of industrial policy measures, with international experience seeing a correlation between levels of economic development and robustness or effectiveness of a country’s QI. With the QI system evolving globally and an improved understanding of its critical role in industrial policy, consideration needs to be given to its role in post-COVID-19 economic recovery plans.
For more about the Institutional alignment of Quality Infrastructure in South Africa and links to case studies on QI in Australia, Brazil, Kenya and the Republic of Korea, go to Quality Infrastructure case studies.
About the Speakers
Eduardo Trajano Gadret is Researcher-Technologist in Metrology and Quality at INMETRO
Martin Chesire is Chief Executive Officer at Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS)
Saul Levin is the Executive Director of TIPS
Tshenge Demana is a Chief Director in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke is a partner at Mesopartner
RSVP by email: daphney@tips.org.za to confirm attendance
Zoom meeting details
Register online