Show youth employment opportunities in environmental conservation — experts demand
Oebel, who was making a presentation on linking concrete opportunities for businesses for the youth, said that the green economy shouldn’t be looked at as just an environmental agenda but as an economic transformation agenda.
Nicolas Oebel (Courtesy photo)
As Uganda transitions on its transition into the green economy, experts are calling on the government to identify opportunities for youth in order for them to embrace environment conservation.
The call was made by Nicolas Oebel, the Country Director for Enabel, during the third CEO breakfast meeting that took place at the UNICEF auditorium on Tuesday.
Oebel, who was making a presentation on linking concrete opportunities for businesses for the youth, said that the green economy shouldn’t be looked at as just an environmental agenda but as an economic transformation agenda.
Because the green economy has the potential of making existing businesses more competitive, attracting investments that will create jobs to end the unemployment challenge, he wants the government to show the youth existing opportunities.
After identifying the markets, he said there is a need to work with the private sector who can then invest in innovation in the green space hence creating the jobs.
In addition, the focus should move away from individual enterprises to the entire value chain, citing an example of the bamboo value chain.
Oeble added that investors in the bamboo value chain don’t only stop at training people about bamboo processing, but they go ahead and show the opportunities in bamboo planting.
These include fuelwood, environmental conservation, as its roots have the potential to prevent floods, and its trees can be used for ornamentals like decorations. The plant can be processed into plates, cups, bags, popular toothpicks, table mats among others of which all products attract a higher income.
“So training young people in bamboo processing is of course useful but without competitive enterprises, companies without access to technology, finance, limited skills, and without standards, the value chain cannot generate sustainable employment,” Oeble said.
Edwin Muhumuza, the head of the green economy and sustainability secretariat and organiser of the third CEO's breakfast, said that the high-level dialogue on green economy, SDGs, and sustainability was aimed at getting CEOs together to consider investments in the green economy for Uganda to achieve its aspirations of Vision 2040, NDP IV, among others.
“Strengthening climate resilience and ensuring that no one is left behind is the reason why we get to convene and bring together our key government partners in such a process,” he said.
Adding that Climate change, environmental degradation, pressure on natural resources, and unsustainable production systems are not only affecting the environment but are compromising the quality of life.
It is for this reason that we started the CEO breakfast meetings to promote the green economy transition, which should be treated as an economic and government priority.
Under the theme Accelerating Uganda’s green economy transition through digital transformation, the meeting explored challenges and how Ugandans can take advantage of technology, innovations, and data systems to mobilise resources that can be invested in environmental conservation.