South Africa has embraced the shift to a green economy to attain inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth and development. The desire to transition to a green economy has been declared at the highest political level, and the articulation of the green economy agenda is evident in the South African policy framework. From a trade and industry perspective specifically, the transition materializes through two complementary streams, which go hand in hand: the development of new, green industries and the greening of existing, traditional industries. Within this framework, this analysis Green Economy Industry and Trade Analysis: Assessing South Africa's Potential focuses on the development of new trade opportunities for green industries in South Africa, both for import substitution and for exports.
The main objectives are to identify and assess economic sectors that offer particular trade opportunities from the perspective of green industrial development; inform a subsequent sector-specific assessment of opportunities at the green industry and trade nexus; and provide recommendations for policymakers on how to further harness the identified opportunities in key sectors. The research followed a two-stage approach, structured against an exploratory phase and, subsequently, targeted case studies.