Time: 13:00 - 14:00


There is little contestation that renewable energy is a key mechanism of mitigation against climate change. It is also important for the role it plays in job creation, in increasing access to electricity and increasing the supply of electricity in the country.

This seminar will focus on the role of renewable energy in job creation and will ask a number of key questions such as:

* Where are the jobs in renewables?

* What counts as decent climate jobs?

* What are the developmental benefits of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme (REIPPPP)?

* What are the spatial implications of jobs in the renewable energy sector in the context of a Just Transition?

Sandra van Niekerk worked for many years in the trade union movement - for most of these in the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). In SAMWU she was the education officer, as well as involved in policy work on key municipal services such as water, waste and energy. She continues to do research on the public sector and service delivery. In addition, over the last few years, through working on the One Million Climate Change Campaign at AIDC (Alternative Information and Development Centre), has been doing work on the possibilities of the creation of climate jobs in different sectors such as energy, transport, agro-ecology and so on.