FSS organizes dialogue on: Building a Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE): Challenges and Prospects
FSS – ADDIS ABABA – Forum for Social Studies (FSS), in collaboration with The Department for International Development (DFID), organized a public policy dialogue on the topic Building a Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE): Challenges and Prospects on Friday 29th July 2016 at Ghion Hotel, Addis Ababa.
The public dialogue is one of the 12 sessions organized around the main theme of “Discourse on Ethiopian Development: Challenges and Prospects” aims to deliberate on Ethiopian Development, the challenges, experiences and lessons.
Dr. Mulugeta Mengist Ayalew, special advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office on climate change policy and law and a senior researcher and academic in the areas of climate change and environmental law, presented a discussion paper on the topic after which debates and discussions were held by the attending participants.
Dr. Mulugeta started his presentation by defining the concepts of green economy and its relation to sustainable development (SD). He said sustainable development was right at the intersection of economic development, social development, and quality environment. He argued that SD is about allowing the next generation to entertain the same range of resources and capitals as that of the current generation. He pointed out that the quality, combination and amount of various capitals/resources (including material, human and natural) are important. How much to use and how much to pass to the next generation is crucial, according to Dr. Mulugeta.
In discussing Green Economy vis-à-vis SD, Dr Mulugeta argued that green economy is a tool to address SD, and not an alternative. He explained green economy should not be reduced to a remedy to address climate change; it is much more than that and aims to bring about better economic development, reduce climate change effects, secure energy, create better employment, reduce cost of fuel, reduce poverty and bring about sustainable development.
He then explained that green economy in the Ethiopian context is measured based on carbon emission levels of not more that 150 million tons a year. Activities including forest development, increased use of renewable energy sources, and increasing agricultural productivity through treating degraded land and expanding irrigation without affecting the forest resource base do not increase emission levels.
At last, he pointed out some of the challenges for building a CRGE in the Ethiopian context. The major ones, he said, are the initial cost of green economy; institutional problems and lack of coordination between various interrelated sectors (e.g. biodiversity, Ministry of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Ministry, and Ministries of Water, Electricity and Mines).
Following Dr. Mulugeta’s presentation, Professor Woldeamlak Bewket, Professor of Environmental Studies and Dean of the College of Social Sciences at Addis Ababa University and Ato Negusu Aklilu, a climate change advisor, and freelance consultant, forwarded their perspectives on the topic.
Professor Woldeamlak Bewket said he liked the way the draft paper was presented that it used easy to understand conversational language of complex concepts. He said the paper focused on definition of concepts which mostly are not the problem; the problem came when implementing policies/programs/projects. He also said the paper would have been better if it was supported with empirical studies. He explained that there is recently a conceptual move from green economy to inclusive green economy to encompass adaptation and mitigation. He said the paper may need to consider this. He also indicated that the challenges we are facing in implementing CRGE (financial, human, and economical) should be discussed in the paper. The need to have a national master land use plan and that zonation is highlighted in his discussion. He also pointed out that government could make a study on various incentive and disincentive mechanisms to reach at an optimal mix to which people respond.
Similarly, Ato Negusu Aklilu, the second discussant explained that Ethiopia was the first African country who took a bold step to adopt green strategy and that the country developed policies and institutional arrangements to help the implementation. He recommended launching public mobilization towards achieving CRGE since the cost of green economy is very high: nearly 7.5 million each year which can’t be achieved by relaying on external financial support. He emphasized on the need to be cautious about the following: how to keep water during dry seasons to provide sustainable power supply; water-shed management, species combination of planted trees and their follow-up, keeping an eye on biodiversity indicator species, such as frogs and butterflies, and examining park administration in all regions of the country. Like Professor Woldeamlak, Ato Aklilu also highlighted the need to have master land use plan which he believed addresses many of the concerns. He also indicated we need to strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection. Central to green economy is the principle: Grows now and Clean Up Tomorrow, he said, and that green development should start from green mentality and thinking.
There were two rounds of lively discussion sessions with the participants of the dialogue. Main issues raised were the following:
- Not much work is done on maintaining existing forests, rather on rehabilitation degraded land
- We need to be critical about our investment policy. We are giving away our forest areas to investors. Moreover, we should give emphasis to eco-tourism. We need to critically think the effect of investment activities on eco-tourism, ecosystem and ecosystem functions (we might otherwise fall under what I call investment paradox). We should examine new projects vis-à-vis green development. Trees are not only sources of woods; over 80% medicines are extracted from trees. Frogs do also absorb chemicals through their skin
- Housing development should consider green area development
- Coordination among various stakeholders (government and non-government) is important.
- Environmental accountability should be in place
- Environmental degradation and deforestation are also causing huge migration. So we should also address the migration question
- We need to balance among fast growth, sustainable development and environmental protection
- Government taxation system should be ‘green’
- Our power sources need to be green. Hydropower development addresses many of the environmental related problems.
- There is a gap between plan and implementation. The implementers does n’t know the CRGE document
- We need to involve the youth in CRGE activities. More employment could be created for youth by building CRGE.
- We need technological solutions for treating industrial wastes. We need to reduce solid waste and convert them to energy sources and compost.
- Concern for environment is not a luxury rather the basis of economy.
- The dialogue was attended by around 80 participants drawn from various sectors directly or indirectly involved in Environment and environment protection, including Government Offices, Civil Society Organization, Research and Academic Institutions and the media, attended and actively participated in the discussion.