Turning KwaZulu-Natal's Foreign Direct Investment strategy GREEN
2013-11-08 12:01:00
Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) in partnership with the Durban Investment Promotion Agency (DIPA) is hosting a Green Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) workshop from today. The Regional Workshop for Africa themed "Seizing the low-carbon investment opportunity" is a three day peer-to-peer learning event for investment promotion agencies in Africa. It is being held in Ballito from 6-8 November 2013 with participation from at least 30 countries.
"The next economic wave of innovation is the smart green economic revolution, which includes renewable energy, sustainable food and transport, low carbon buildings, innovative waste management amongst others. This tour will demonstrate the benefits of engaging in the green economy and potentially stimulate the shift of the KZN economy onto a green growth path," said Mr Zamo Gwala, CEO of Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal. The increased demand for low-carbon products and processes has created many new business opportunities, from the greening of existing industries to understanding the business triggers in the renewable energy sector. Experts from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Bank Group, Ernst and Young, IBM, Plant Location International will unpack these topics and share their insights. The high levels of unemployment in South Africa as a whole requires the concerted effort of government and the private sector working together to ensure that job creation is addressed. The development of a green economy will create green jobs and this should take place both through the transformation of existing businesses towards more resource efficient practice and the development of new business in green products and services. "TIKZN's relationship with UNCTAD spans over the years in an ongoing basis with representatives through seminars, workshops and conferences. It was with this in mind that we decided to host this workshop to ensure we investigate better ways of coordinating the execution of the green economy in the province of KwaZulu-Natal," concluded Gwala.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted on behalf of Zamo Gwala, CEO at Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal