Reviewing Some Implications of the Green Economy for Higher and Further Education Institutions

The world is set to apply green economy as a framework for achieving sustainable development, eradicate poverty and inequality and create jobs. This reality follows the consensus on green economy by global leaders during Rio+20 in June 2012. At the centre of the green economy is the need to address...

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Main Author: Godwell Nhamo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Environmental Association of Southern Africa 2014-12-01
Series:Southern African Journal of Environmental Education
Online Access:https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/121967
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author Godwell Nhamo
author_facet Godwell Nhamo
author_sort Godwell Nhamo
collection DOAJ
description The world is set to apply green economy as a framework for achieving sustainable development, eradicate poverty and inequality and create jobs. This reality follows the consensus on green economy by global leaders during Rio+20 in June 2012. At the centre of the green economy is the need to address negative impacts associated with one of the global challenges of our epoch, climate change. Higher education (including further education) is viewed by many as an enabling platform for the generation and acquisition of green economy knowledge and skills for the future we want. The question this paper seeks to address is: are African institutions of higher education green economy ready? This question is not only limited to the curricula, but to broader impact areas in higher education that include the institutionalisation of green economy in policy, research and research management structures, in depth understanding of the green economy concept and the manner in which it links to existing paradigms like sustainable development as well as higher education– private sector partnerships. The paper shows that there are a number of emerging initiatives that can be seen to be developing green economy education and training in higher/further education contexts, but that much more needs to be done. The paper shows a ‘slow awakening’ to the green economy call as revealed by activities from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) and selected universities and private sector initiatives.
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spelling doaj.art-4203b4ff06a4407a9c9b1ee97909f89c2022-12-22T02:43:24ZengEnvironmental Association of Southern AfricaSouthern African Journal of Environmental Education2411-59592411-59592014-12-0130Reviewing Some Implications of the Green Economy for Higher and Further Education InstitutionsGodwell Nhamo0University of South Africa, South AfricaThe world is set to apply green economy as a framework for achieving sustainable development, eradicate poverty and inequality and create jobs. This reality follows the consensus on green economy by global leaders during Rio+20 in June 2012. At the centre of the green economy is the need to address negative impacts associated with one of the global challenges of our epoch, climate change. Higher education (including further education) is viewed by many as an enabling platform for the generation and acquisition of green economy knowledge and skills for the future we want. The question this paper seeks to address is: are African institutions of higher education green economy ready? This question is not only limited to the curricula, but to broader impact areas in higher education that include the institutionalisation of green economy in policy, research and research management structures, in depth understanding of the green economy concept and the manner in which it links to existing paradigms like sustainable development as well as higher education– private sector partnerships. The paper shows that there are a number of emerging initiatives that can be seen to be developing green economy education and training in higher/further education contexts, but that much more needs to be done. The paper shows a ‘slow awakening’ to the green economy call as revealed by activities from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) and selected universities and private sector initiatives.https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/121967
spellingShingle Godwell Nhamo
Reviewing Some Implications of the Green Economy for Higher and Further Education Institutions
Southern African Journal of Environmental Education
title Reviewing Some Implications of the Green Economy for Higher and Further Education Institutions
title_full Reviewing Some Implications of the Green Economy for Higher and Further Education Institutions
title_fullStr Reviewing Some Implications of the Green Economy for Higher and Further Education Institutions
title_full_unstemmed Reviewing Some Implications of the Green Economy for Higher and Further Education Institutions
title_short Reviewing Some Implications of the Green Economy for Higher and Further Education Institutions
title_sort reviewing some implications of the green economy for higher and further education institutions
url https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/121967
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