Unleashing the potential of the private sector to drive green growth and job creation in Zambia

Abstract

The growing private sector in Africa, including micro-, small- and medium-enterprises, is well positioned to boost green growth and associated job creation. For this to materialize, the private sector needs to redirect investment to green and sustainable businesses and practices. This would enable the private sector to play its rightful part in assisting countries to combat the growing threat and risks posed by high levels of poverty, accelerating climate change, resource scarcity and degradation and loss of natural capital, including biodiversity. This report is intended to strengthen the knowledge base on green and sustainable businesses, including their role in green growth and job creation. It builds the case for policy interventions and other measures to unlock private sector-led green growth and job creation in Zambia. The report focuses on the potential to upscale green business investment in four selected sectors: energy, agriculture, manufacturing and waste management. The report documents and examines existing green businesses and investment and the measures, incentives and conditions needed to spur green investment, green growth, job creation and to ensure resilience to shocks, particularly those related to climate change, degradation of natural capital, including biodiversity loss, and resource scarcity and depletion.