News: Oct 31, 2019
In Nyamata, Rwanda during September 9-20 Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development (GMV), University of Gothenburg and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)-Rwanda carried out a two weeks training for fifteen high-level civil servants from Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda. The aim of the training is to strengthen national capacity for an Inclusive Green Economy (IGE), which is one of the prerequisites for achieving Agenda 2030.
The two weeks training is a part of a one-year program focusing on strengthening national capacity to create an Inclusive Green Economy in Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda. This implies making economic development more environmentally sustainable and beneficial to the poor. The program covers all the themes of Agenda 2030, with particular focus on Goal 8: Decent working conditions and economic growth, and to strengthen low-income countries' capacity to transform to an inclusive green economy through increased knowledge and use of economic policy instruments, organizational change, building national systems and increase the transparency of institutions.
At the opening of the two weeks training, the Program Co-Directors at the Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development, Dr. Anders Ekbom and Ms. Emelie César, and GGGI Rwanda Country Representative, Ms. Inhee Chung encouraged participants to use this opportunity to learn; exchange knowledge and experiences on Inclusive Green Economy from the three participating countries.
During the training participants from governments (primarily economists) and green economy experts from University of Gothenburg, GGGI-Rwanda and Ethiopia, University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Tax Authority exchanged knowledge and discussed how to work in practice with Inclusive Green Economy. The training focused on action learning with theoretical sessions complemented with practical exercises, group work, dialogues and study visits. Focus was on increased and enhanced use of economic instruments such as environmental taxes, pollution fees, subsidies or suanbsidy reduction and other types of financial incentives for sustainable development in line with Agenda 2030.
Generally, the participants’ evaluations of the training show that it was much needed, highly appreciated and useful. As one participant writes: “ I personally believe that this training has given me an opportunity to share experiences both from colleagues and countries especially in terms of oprationalizing an Inclusive Green Economy. I also benefited in terms of knowledge I gained. So this type of training should be proposed to be held to other countries in order to adopt best practices around IGE and make the world economy greener.”
From University of Gothenburg professors Thomas Sterner, Sverker Jagers and Åsa Löfgren and Dr Haileselassie Medhin all participated in the training programme as experts through video link to save on time and reduce carbon footprint.
The Inclusive Green Economy in Practice Program for government officials from Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda is funded by the Swedish Institute.
Emelie César, Program Co-Directors, Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development, emelie.cesar@gu.se
Anders Ekbom, Program Co-Directors, Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development, anders.ekbom@gu.se
Photos:
1. Participants and Program Co-Directors
2. Dr. Claudine Uwera, Minister of Finance in Rwanda
