Inclusive Green Growth and Job Creation

Successful first Green Africa Forum in Zambia

In September 2017 Zambia hosted the first “Africa Forum on Private Sector Inclusive Growth and Decent Green Jobs Creation”.

News | 28 September 2017
Contact(s): greenjobs@ilo.org
Discussions at the Forum focused on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 8 and the potential role of private sector to boost green growth in Africa. The parallel sessions’ topics ranged from macroeconomic and fiscal policies, social protection for informal and rural economy workers, green employment creation projection, green building/sustainable construction, sustainable waste management, sustainable agriculture/forestry, green industry and trade, clean and renewable energy.

The event built on interactive learning platform, starting from the achievements and lessons learned of the Zambia Green Jobs Programme, the collective knowledge of 150 business, policy-makers, social partners and development practitioners from more than 25 countries in Africa and elsewhere, including representatives from the Partnership for Green Economy (PAGE) and SWITCH Africa Green.

While engaging in thematic and sectoral discussions, participants made use of “Future Foresighting” learning techniques to identify drivers of change and assess alternative complex scenarios countries could be facing in the transition towards inclusive green growth.

As part of the event, a business fair was organised for about 20 Zambian and Finnish businesses, joined by other African entrepreneurs, to display their green business products and services whilst exploring business-to-business opportunities for joint ventures and other forms of public and private partnerships.

The forum was opened by Minister of Labour and Social Security of Zambia, Joyce Nonde-Simukoko, and attended by Minister of Employment of Finland, Jari Lindstrom, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry of Zambia, Margaret Mwanakatwe, Finnish Ambassador to Zambia, Timo Olkkonen, and ILO director for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique, Alexio Musindo.

The Forum was jointly organized by the Finnish-funded Zambia Green Jobs Programme, the Government of Zambia and the Government of Finland, in collaboration with the Centre and the ILO Green Jobs Programme, the event took place in Livingstone, Zambia, on 6-8 September 2017.

Joyce Nonde-Simukoko, Minister of Labour of Zambia, visiting the fair

Press Releases: 


Zambia Daily Mail Limited, September 3, 2017: Zambia hosts Afica private jobs creation forum

Zambia 24 Community, September 2017: "Zambia green jobs programme benefits 3,000 SMEs"