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Llewellyn van Wyk |
At the core of a study undertaken by the CSIR for the International Labour Organization (ILO), a UN body based in Geneva, is construction that delivers environmentally-friendly buildings and technology that creates decent employment through the 'green' building industry. The creation of jobs and good working conditions for employees, in this instance in the building and construction industry, is central to the ILO mandate.
The ILO commissioned a study on the situation in South Africa as a basis from which to replicate similar studies in the rest of sub-Saharan African. As an expert in green buildings and director of the sustainability work programme for the Africa Region of the Union of International Architects, the CSIR's Llewellyn van Wyk was the project leader of the six-month study.
The ILO posed research questions to which the CSIR team had to provide informed answers. A review of local and international literature followed, while a survey was conducted among major role players in South Africa, including people in the construction and built environment sector and tertiary institutions. "We reviewed the South African construction sector, looking at the nature of energy-efficient technologies in buildings and analysing what should most likely be done to make buildings green, as well as what this would mean it terms of job creation," explains Van Wyk.
"We further looked at the South African government's energy policies and what could be done to enhance the uptake of energy-efficient policies in the building and construction sector."
The CSIR team found that the creation of new jobs in this sector would be limited, as the main growth lies in the manufacturing of energy-efficient products rather than in installation and maintenance. However, most of these products are imported; it would be a step in the right direction to create an enabling environment through government incentive schemes for the creation of local manufacturing enterprises. Local electricians and construction workers could embark on reskilling and upskilling programmes and thus move up the 'technology ladder' to be employed in jobs with better conditions.
"The CSIR's role could be to understand the energy-efficient technologies, generate new technologies and develop and provide training material for installing and maintaining products in new or existing buildings," elaborates Van Wyk.
The CSIR report was discussed with an ILO representative in January this year, who commented on the good quality of the product. The ILO will now review the recommendations contained in the document and decide on possible actions going forward, acting as a coordinating body to pull all role players together to convert the study findings into actions.
"The main components to explore are to kick-start the local manufacturing industry, which in turn will lead to a demand for more people trained in understanding, installing and maintaining energy-efficient products. The CSIR's current emerging contractor development programme could offer a way of providing specialist training in green technologies, while also providing mentorship," concludes Van Wyk.
Enquiries: CSIR Communication
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