Nolo Mokoena, co-founder and COO of Crtve Development, has participated in a closed roundtable discussion organised by the Mastercard Foundation to discuss the importance of green jobs for African youth and the steps needed to transition from commitments to concrete climate action.
This event brought together young African leaders at the forefront of creating climate-smart solutions, exploring how these innovations can shape the future of work for young people across the continent.
On Friday, 24 May, the recording of the Mastercard Foundation roundtable discussion featuring Mokoena was released. The roundtable delved into the transformative potential of green jobs and climate-smart solutions for shaping the future of work for young Africans.
Mokoena emphasised the importance of reframing climate adaptation as an opportunity to create green jobs for African youth.
"We need to reshape the conversation about adaptation. It is not a charitable issue, but an economic one — with the potential to create millions of green jobs for African youth," said Mokoena.
According to the discussion held, green jobs offer a pathway towards sustainable development, enabling African countries to achieve their climate commitments while fostering inclusive growth, poverty reduction and a more sustainable future.
Amid the escalating challenges of climate change, the imperative for sustainable practices and green job creation has surged to the forefront of global discourse. Green jobs, which encompass environmentally beneficial goods and services, offer a dual opportunity to combat youth unemployment in Africa while propelling climate-resilient innovations.
"We need to harness Africa's potential as a leader in green growth. We can create a prosperous and sustainable future for the continent and the world. The time to act is now," added Mokoena.
Crtve Development says that it aims to play its part, having recently launched its green jobs initiative at the 2023 Africa Climate Summit (ACS) in Kenya to support the creation of one million green jobs for African youth through adaptation initiatives by 2030.
The organisation concludes that the Mastercard Foundation's roundtable dialogue served as a platform for young African leaders to explore and advocate for actionable solutions that bridge the gap between environmental sustainability and economic empowerment for the continent's burgeoning workforce.
For more information, visit www.creativedevelop.org. You can also follow Crtve Development on Facebook or on Instagram.
*Image courtesy of contributor