• The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment will focus its efforts to stoke investment in the green economy.
• These efforts will begin with a focus on energy and removing the red tape that hampers investment.
• The DFFE also mentions a focus on launching more ewaste recycling initiatives.

On Tuesday we reported that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) hopes to streamline green investment in hopes of coaxing investors to our shores. As it turns out, we didn’t have to wait long for the department to highlight which areas it hopes to lure investors towards.

Given South Africa’s tumultuous relationship with energy, that will be the first area of focus with special priority being given to renewable energy projects such as solar, hydropower and wind power.

In a bid to remove speedbumps for investors, the following processes have been tinkered with:

• The exclusion of solar and battery facilities from environmental authorisation in low and medium environmental sensitivity areas.
• The identification of 11 renewable energy zones and five transmission corridors for incentivised green energy projects.
• Efforts to incentivise renewable energy development include identifying strategic zones where the environmental review will take just 194 days, instead of the usual 300.

That review period is still a bit too long for our liking, but we suppose it’s still better than waiting a full year for approval.

By lowering these hurdles the hope is that jobs will pop around projects that are spun up as well as within ancillary sectors that benefit underserved communities. DFFE Minister, Dion George also hopes that through these initiatives, the nation’s energy efficiency will be vastly improved.

“Through energy-saving programmes and technology incentives, we aim to reduce consumption and cut costs,” says George. How exactly these initiatives will cut consumption remains to be seen.

We suspect the minister lives in hope that heavy energy consumers will look to other sources for their energy needs. To a large extent this is already happening and hopefully, with the development process being streamlined, it happens more often.

Aside from energy, the DFFE is hoping to stock investment into a circular economy. This includes ewaste recycling which is gaining more prominence locally. The DFFE recently launched two ewaste recycling drives in Mpumalanga with hopes of not only addressing a growing problem of ewaste but also creating economic opportunities for communities. This is accomplished through the existing waste picker programme, the establishing of ewaste recycling facilities and more.

Lastly, the minister has said that his department will be launching the Green Hydrogen Guideline next week to help streamline approvals for green hydrogen projects, which is yet another boon to the energy sector. The guideline will be launched on 17th February.

“By focusing on the green economy, we’re not just protecting the environment, but creating a sustainable future with meaningful jobs,” concluded George.