-Young reporter for the environment, Climate Diplomacy Week 2nd October 2020.
With unemployment rates at an all-time high in South Africa and globally, because of many factors including the pandemic. It is difficult to not be uncertain about a move towards a circular economy especially in such uncertain times. Will we all have a place in this new economy?
The youth circled back to this question throughout the climate diplomacy week dialogues. What does the working force look like? What are government and other stakeholders doing to ensure that people are adequately skilled to participate in this new economy?
Figure 3: Demonstration of the biogas system
Figure 4: Wheelie bins and trees handover
Stanely Semelane a representative of the CSIR has shared a proposed framework reskilling framework plan for a just energy transition. In which he highlights the critical importance of a just energy transition noting the key considerations for South Africa and what the working sector might look like. This framework plan seeks to include all people at all levels and makes all stakeholders aware of the urgency of reskilling and that it needs to be realistic.
Effective policy is of course the driving force of all this transition. During the CDW dialogues youth have asked to have their voices heard in driving and crafting policy. There has never been a time more crucial for youth participation than now. It is our future; we need to take precedence in what it looks like.