Janet Wilhelm
Cult of secrecy is at the heart of the rot in government
Business Day - 4 October 2021 by Neva Makgetla (TIPS Senior Economist)
South Africa miners back gradual move away from coal-fired power
Bloomberg - 27 September
History counts when measuring performance in municipalities
Business Day - 20 September 2021 by Neva Makgetla (TIPS Senior Economist)
Quality Infrastructure and Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery
The TIPS Development Dialogue seminar on Quality Infrastructure and Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery provided an overview of the importance of Quality Infrastructure in industrial development, and looked at international experiences and the role of these institutions. The recording of the seminar and copies of the presentations are available here.
Quality Infrastructure and Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery
Presentations
Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke - Partner at Mesopartner
Presentation: Global trends in Quality Infrastructure
Eduardo Trajano Gadret - Researcher-Technologist in Metrology and Qualith at INMENTO
Presentation: Quality Infrastructure in Brazil
Martin Chesire - Chief Executive Officer at Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS)
Presentation: Quality Infrastructure in Kenya
Programme
14:00: Facilitator opens the seminar: Saul Levin
14:05: Opening remarks Tshenge Demana: Quality Infrastructure in support of industrial development
14:10-14:20 Global trends in Quality Infrastructure: Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke
14:20-14:45 Presentations on international experience in Quality Infrastructure institutional role:
- Eduardo Trajano Gadret: QI in Brazil
- Martin Chesire: QI in Kenya
14:45-15:15 Discussion and engagement on how experiences of QI development could enrich South Africa in the context of Post-COVID-19 economic recovery
15:15 Closure
Background
South Africa’s industrial policy aims to bring about a change in the structure of the economy to put the economy on a more inclusive, industrialised and sustainable path. Quality Infrastructure (QI) institutions (SABS, NMISA, NRCS, and SANAS) are part and parcel of industrial policy measures, with international experience seeing a correlation between levels of economic development and robustness or effectiveness of a country’s QI. With the QI system evolving globally and an improved understanding of its critical role in industrial policy, consideration needs to be given to its role in post-COVID-19 economic recovery plans.
For more about the Institutional alignment of Quality Infrastructure in South Africa and links to case studies on QI in Australia, Brazil, Kenya and the Republic of Korea, go to Quality Infrastructure case studies.
About the Speakers
Eduardo Trajano Gadret is Researcher-Technologist in Metrology and Quality at INMETRO
Martin Chesire is Chief Executive Officer at Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS)
Saul Levin is the Executive Director of TIPS
Tshenge Demana is a Chief Director in the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke is a partner at Mesopartner
RSVP by email: daphney@tips.org.za to confirm attendance
Zoom meeting details
Register online
Thomson Reuters - 29 September 2021 by Kim Harribserg
Read online at Thomson Reuters Foundation
Net-zero goal could be new ‘shared vision that binds’ South Africa
Engineering News - 14 September 2021 by Terence Creamer
Read online at Engineering News
Lagging investment in SA puts brakes on economic recovery
Policy toolbox for a just transition
SUMMARY: While the concept of a just transition dates back half a century, only recently has it entered the mainstream discourse. Its scope and application remain a source of debates and disagreements, with the term being already co-opted by various parties. The policy interventions required to effect and finance a just transition in a given context are similarly yet to be determined. This paper aims to contribute to unpacking the meaning of a just transition and the tools to foster it. It discusses the three key dimensions of a just transition - procedural, distributive and restorative justice - highlighted the varying degrees of ambition existing in different framings and review the policy toolbox for each of the three dimensions.
KEY FINDING: A socio-economic transition is underway, underpinned primarily by climate change and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. People, communities, companies and countries, however, have a different ability to respond and adapt to the disruption. This is compounded by the persistence of a deeply unequal political and economic system. This has led to calls for a “just transition” to an inclusive green economy, to ensure that vulnerable stakeholders are better off through the transition process, or at least not negatively impacted by it. Yet the scope and application of the just transition agenda remain a source of debates and disagreements.