JOHANNESBURG
- Viridis Africa, the clean technology business and investment conference
presents a matchmaking platform for African renewable energy, waste management,
water conservation, and recycling projects and initiatives on 16th
and 17th October 2012 at the Killamey Country Club, Lower Houghton
South Africa.
The event is dedicated to African business
owners who seek funding to introduce clean technology solutions and services.
African and foreign investors will be in attendance at the event, seeking to
fund new commercial opportunities, strategic alliances, distribution partners
and acquisitions.
Viridis Africa challenges
participants and business case presenters at the conference to present and
discuss appropriate solutions to African climate change problems and to
champion African economic growth.
The conference
organizers are expecting that the Viridis Africa (which means “Green Africa” in
Latin) event will in no small measure bring attention to the clean technology
development efforts in Africa as one of the avenues by which socio-economic
benefits could be derived i.e. lead to poverty reduction, disease prevention
through such methods as improved waste management and water treatment
technologies, and higher literacy levels due to access to electricity, and of
course create employment.
Solutions to mitigate
climate change will be articulated at the conference. Though Africa emits
barely 3% of the world’s green house gases, the continent is most affected.
Experts agree that Africa is the most vulnerable continent and least able to
adapt to a new hurdle in the fight against extreme poverty and disease. For
many sub-Saharan African countries, climate change means more frequent drought
and floods, water scarcity, and increased health challenges such as
under-nutrition.
Global warming could cause temperature
rises double those elsewhere. The consequence would be dramatic declines in
rainfall and a fall in crops. There are likely to be severe water shortages in
many parts of the African continent.
According to Suza
Adam, managing director of Spindle Communications, and organizers of Viridis
Africa, “it’s also imperative for those responsible for the emission of the
greater percentage of green house gases to commit to reducing emission at home.
The reluctance of greater emitters of green house gases to cutting down emission
at home is questionable if we are all committed to global warming
reduction.”
Explains Adam,
“buying emission rights abroad is good, but cutting down emission at home is
better. And guess what, best is if you can do both.”
“We all have a
responsibility to do research and come up with ways in which renewable energy
can bring about sustainability to struggling communities. Since renewable
energy applications most times takes power generation into the citizenry. It
will help us lower our carbon footprint while gauging our energy barometer.”
Adam explains: “Our
industries should be bolstered by sustainability initiatives and carbon finance
should be used to scale up renewable energy and low-income household energy
projects. It will amaze us if we sincerely cut our carbon emissions and
implement strategies to adopt and mitigate the risk climate change has on the
society.”
“We should undertake
energy saving initiatives, e.g. replace our light bulbs with energy saving
lights, install timers in various points and turn off all geysers, etc.
“We should highlight
how renewable energy can bring about poverty eradication and sustainable
development; how it can bring about agricultural development, productivity and
rural sustainability.
“Let’s be able to
show the link between renewable energy and food security, sustainable
agriculture and rural development. How renewable energy can bring about energy
security, food security, quality and sovereignty.
Since the severe climatic impact foreseen for Africa is likely to be unavoidable, much focus is needed to mitigate the hardship that this climatic change would bring on to the shores and hinterland of this continent. In simple terms this means that novel technologies needed to be introduced to address the severe impact that negative climate change would have on the provision of food security, health, and wealth of the continent inhabitants.
Clean
Technologies are being designed and produced in a most advanced fashion,
incorporating the bleeding edge of scientific knowledge and application such as
in material sciences – nano engineering, biotechnology - genetically modified
organisms, chemistry - green industrial processes, etc.
The most important aspect of these technologies are that they are designed to bring about sustainable environmental and economical solutions. It is these solutions that if they were to be implemented in Africa, their impact will be the greatest.
Thus
developed countries’ technologies and solutions would go a long way to
alleviate the impact of severe weather patterns heading towards Africa. Such
technology implementation ought to be done in a manner that is
commercially viable so as to ensure the rapid and continued deployment of such
initiatives. Simply said commercial initiative must be seemlessly integrated
with socio-economic needs and replicated most widely.
Viridis Africa is
inviting entrepreneurs to submit a clean tech business plan or investment
proposal to the organisers of the event. Participating in the event will allow
clean technology business owners to raise capital for expansion, acquiring new
technology, opening new markets and up scaling production. Business plans
should be send to suza@viridisafrica.com before 30 August
2012.
For more info on how
to take part, costs and presentation guidelines, please visit www.viridisafrica.com
very informative post which provide details and importance of clean tech business conference.
ReplyDeleteThe most important aspect of clean technology is that they are designed to bring about sustainable environmental and economical solutions.
we will definitely take advantage of this event which will help to improve our business production..