02-06-2017
Wesgro notes US President Donald Trump’s intended withdrawal from the Paris Agreement with regret.
We also welcome the South African government's continued commitment to the Paris Agreement, as announced today.
“As a region currently experiencing unprecedented climate challenges, the Western Cape has become especially attuned to environmental matters and Wesgro is committed to promoting investment opportunities and innovation this sector,” said Wesgro CEO Tim Harris.
Between January 2003 and December 2016 a total of 12 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects into the Western Cape's renewable energy sector were recorded by fDi Intelligence. These projects represent a total capital investment of R20 billion and created a total of 383 jobs.
The Cape also happens to be the home of two of South Africa's first experimental wind farms, the success of which contributed to the creation of national government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). The first bids closed in 2011 and the Western Cape had been allocated six wind and five photo-voltaic solar power projects by the time the fourth bids closed in 2015.
“To date we’ve recorded 293 green economy projects in the Cape which is up from just 40 in 2010. We’ve also seen over 10 000 local jobs being created in the renewable energy sector alone,” added GreenCape CEO Mike Mulcahy.
“In line with our number one strategy to create opportunities for jobs and growth, we prioritised securing an affordable and stable energy supply and green is a huge part of this. Wesgro and GreenCape have been key partners in this bid to grow our green economy. The Western Cape is home to 60% of the country’s green project developers and two thirds of South Africa’s green manufacturing happens in this province. We have also worked to increase the number of rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) installations to 9500 in our municipalities. The Western Cape is home to 16 of the 23 municipalities in the country with the capability to allow grid-tied installations, giving environmentally-conscious households and businesses the ability to sell power back into the grid. We’ve also engaged with the agriculture sector to ensure this sector is sustainable in the face of climate change, which resulted in the development of the SmartAgri climate change response plan,” said Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde.
“Before the Paris Agreement was in place, American cities and Mayors together with others around the world have made great strides in our work to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change because we are on the frontline with the issues which affect our citizens’ daily lives. We pledge our solidarity and stand with our American Mayors, regardless of party politics, and will continue to work together as Mayors from around the world to save our planet for future generations,” concluded Cape Town Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille.
For more info the Cape’s green economy, download GreenCape’s annual report here.
