'Implications of a Green Economic Recovery for South Africa'

South Africa faces the challenge of promoting short-term economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while ensuring long-term, environmentally sustainable prosperity. The research described here explores the tensions and opportunities presented by this challenge from two different modelling exercises. The results reveal that economic recovery, without strong green policies, will bring a rapid return to high CO2 emissions in South Africa, whereas focusing on green policies can promote higher economic activity and employment while also allowing for significant cuts in CO2 emissions. South Africa’s greenhouse-gas emissions target can be achieved by deliberately and boldly building back better and fairer.