Transcript Chamber Colloquium 13 February 2014

The CHIETA Chambers Colloquium
13 February 2014
SETTING THE SCENE
Acting CEO, Ms Ayesha Itzkin
Outline
CHIETA’s 1st Research Colloquium in 2013
Why the green economy?
The National Development Plan
Green and the chemical sector
What CHIETA is currently doing
CHIETA’s 2nd Colloquium
CHIETA’s 1st Colloquium 27 Feb 2013
•
•
The CHIETA agreed in Feb 2013 to approach our companies that do
research related to their labour needs, their green related needs and
interventions, and their planning and forecasting for skills, to share such
information with the CHIETA so we can understand the full picture
We agreed that company intellectual property, cutting edge related
information etc will be respected
CHIETA’s
st
1
Colloquium
• Purpose: to provide an opportunity and platform for the chemical sector
stakeholders to engage around skills development research of relevance
nationally and to the chemical sector specifically
• Key focus: Partnerships: between CHIETA, industry and public institutions
(FETs and HETs) and research other organizations
• Result: Clear commitment from industry, as demonstrated through their
presentations and discussion, to working together to improve the innovative
capacity in the sector and build research related partnerships
• CHIETA IS committed to facilitate and expand skills development partnerships
• Feedback from stakeholders on 27 Feb 2013:
– Help us strengthen partnerships, particularly with FETs in support of
artisan development, around curriculum development, in relation to
articulation
– We need to get talking on green economy, what it means for us and for
skills
Why the green economy?
UNEP (2011) considers a green economy as “an economy
that results in improved human well-being and social
equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks
and ecological scarcities”.
It’s growth in income and employment is driven by:
• reduced carbon emissions and pollution;
• enhanced energy and resource efficiency; and
• preventing the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem
services.
This includes investments in human resource
development.
The National Development Plan
SA aims to ensure
environmental
sustainability and an
equitable transition to a
low-carbon economy
NDP Ch 5
The NDP imperatives
• Use our natural resources and mineral deposits and
transition to a low-carbon future and a more diverse
and inclusive economy
• Address our developmental challenges in a way that
ensures environmental sustainability and builds
resilience to the effects of climate change, particularly
in poorer communities
• Invest in skills, technology and institutional capacity to
support the development of a more sustainable society
and the transition to a low-carbon economy
• Put in place focused, institutionalised capacity and
management structures
The NDP imperatives
• Drive consumer awareness initiatives and
develop sufficient recycling infrastructure so that
we become a zero waste society
• Develop environmentally sustainable green
products and services, including renewable
energy technologies, which contribute to the
creation of jobs in niche markets where South
Africa has or can develop a competitive
advantage
• Carbon pricing mechanisms that target specific
mitigation opportunities need to be implemented
Green and the chemical sector
• What path do we take to meet current environmental and
human health, economic and social needs without
compromising the progress and success of future
generations?
• What practices – products, services and processes- are we
changing to support this goal?
• As citizens, as organisations/companies, as communities, as
a country?
• In other words, what is/can our sector do to support
sustainability and the transition to a low-carbon economy?
Green and the chemical sector
• What skills are needed to support these changes?
NSDS III is also informed by overarching governments
strategies such as the Environment Strategy, the
Industrial Policy Action Plan, the HRD Strategy for SA,
etc
The chemical sector
Source: Committee on Grand Challenges for Sustainability in the Chemical Industry, National
Research Council 2005
What is CHIETA currently doing?
• Supporting research on green skills – to be
presented today
• Raising green economy considerations in the
Sector Skills Plan (SSP)
• As part of the occupational profiling exercise,
beginning to look at green implications
• Following the QCTO qualification and curriculum
process which requires a consideration of green
• Supporting learners studying towards HET
qualifications related to “green occupations” (as
defined by OFO)
What is the CHIETA doing?
• Supporting green initiatives related to skills
development through institutional and
industry partnerships via the discretionary and
strategic projects funding such as
• ECPG Office of the Premier
• South African Oil and Gas Alliance
CHIETA Chamber Colloquium
Today is about starting that
conversation about green
economy, implications for the
chemical sector and skills
development
And then taking action!