Barbara Creecy, minister of forestry, fisheries, and the environment, has emphasised the value of encouraging young people to start businesses since they are most suited to drive the search for sustainable solutions.
In this regard, Creecy said on Tuesday, “we are mindful that by supporting young business owners in the green economy space, we are also opening up the possibility for them to participate in relevant ERRP areas and recent developments in the renewable energy sector.
She was speaking at the Driving Force for Change (DFC) II Youth Challenge award ceremony for green entrepreneurs at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg.
Young green entrepreneurs and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) now have the chance to access the much-needed business acumen support (develop early-stage entrepreneurship skills and competencies) and further develop/refine their business plans thanks to the DFC II Youth Challenge, which builds on the 2020 DFC Youth Initiative.
“It is still our duty to give our youth the support they need to make their ideas a reality and to foster an environment where green and sustainable business ventures can help advance the economy of our nation.
Let’s keep encouraging and supporting our youth to work harder and accomplish more, the minister urged.
Creecy urged aspiring female entrepreneurs to seize future green business opportunities made possible by similar programmes.
Despite the fact that fewer women than men applied in both rounds of the Initiative, the trend from the first two calls for proposals clearly demonstrates that there is interest in such initiatives among women.
13 young entrepreneurs, five of whom were female, received financial incentives and training in business savvy through the DFC II Youth Challenge to help them grow their individual businesses.
These start-ups focused on a variety of issues, including waste management, ecosystem services, and monitoring municipal water quality.
The understanding that climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution are endangering the long-term sustainability of our planet is central to the strategy guiding the Driving Force for Change, the minister said.
The programme seeks to find workable solutions to issues that would otherwise be overwhelming and existential.
“Green and circular economy approaches are acknowledged as best practises on a global scale and are being incorporated into mitigation and adaptation plans for climate change everywhere.
The government’s collaboration with the Youth for Change Initiative serves as an illustration of how social and economic resilience can be increased. We acknowledge that young people, who will take care of our planet in the future, are uniquely positioned to drive the search for sustainable solutions.
The Minister launched the Driving Force for Change II Youth Challenge in August 2021 in collaboration with the Departments of Employment and Labour (DEL), Sma, the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUZ), the International Labor Organization (ILO), through the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Program, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (NBI).