‘We don’t know what this green economy is all about and so you should tell what we should do,’ commented a municipal councillor at a briefing on 110% Green. ‘Absolutely not’, came the rebuttal for a few good reasons.
To move towards a greener growth path requires a paradigm shift in the way we think and go about our lives and business. For that, we need more-than-usual commitment as well as leadership that is both forward thinking and willing to take risk – for we are stepping into unfamiliar terrain. We also need to collaborate more and differently – what Jeffrey Sacks, of the Earth Institute, calls creating ‘unaccustomed harmony’.
This is the basis on which both 110% Green and the Western Cape's Green Economy Strategy Framework are premised. They stand far from telling people what to do. Instead, they resonate the ‘whole-of-society’ approach that Premier Helen Zille underscored in her State of the Province Address in February 2013.
This year, the Western Cape Government (WCG) agreed to the Green Economy being one of its top priorities, with special budget provision to support this. Premier Zille is championing 110% Green as the platform to help muster the necessary commitment across society, encourage action (big and small), and importantly facilitate new networks. The value of the latter is already evident, as Flagship projects connect with each other for greater impact. For the moment, the 110% Green team is working these networks, but we hope that they will gain their own momentum, and with that, more impactful green activity.
The Western Cape has a great foundation on which to build a Green Economy – most important is its people, and their commitment to and expertise in the environment and resource efficiency. We need to turn that into a compelling Green Economic case. We hope that 110% Green and the launch of this website will help achieve that – but we need the whole of society.