Green Jobs for Youth in Africa Policy Brief

What is it?

This policy brief highlights the most important policy recommendations that came out of research based on the existing literature and the experience of the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), which has been supporting green entrepreneurs.

The green transition in Africa has strong job-creating potential. To realize this potential, however, will require the adoption and implementation of effective policies. 

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Focus on high-potential green jobs sectors. It is important for policymakers to target their interventions. To this end, it is useful to identify specific sectors with high potential for green youth employment.

2. Provide incentives for green transition pioneers. Governments should actively use fiscal and other policy instruments to provide incentives for green businesses. This should go beyond merely discouraging polluting industries, and provide direct incentives for green investments.

3. Promote inclusivity in green employment. It is vital for the green transition to operate in accordance with the SDG principle of ‘leaving no one behind’. Policymakers must guarantee the participation of all types of (vulnerable) groups in green job promotion policies.

4. Nurture a gender-responsive green transition. Policymakers should take specific measures to take down the barriers preventing women from accessing green jobs. Gender-specific business development programmes and education for girls are important components.