23 April 2012: A series of seminars on green growth, launched by the African Development Bank (AfDB), has commenced with a discussion on making green growth work in Africa.

Presented by Jens Riese, McKinsey, on 13 March 2012, the seminar titled “Making green growth work for Africa – early lessons” discussed a number of findings and lessons learned on green growth transformation, as well as the applicability of different approaches and tools to Africa, highlighting challenges faced in the region. Participants discussed how to overcome these challenges, particularly with assistance from development banks such as the AfDB. Aly Abou-Sabaa, Chair, AfDB Climate Change Coordinating Committee (CCCC), emphasized mainstreaming green growth, but cautioned that sustainable economic growth may not equate to zero carbon emissions in Africa.

The seminar series was instituted by the AfDB to deepen the understanding of green growth among staff. The discussions are expected to inform the AfDB’s operational strategy on green growth. The CCCC held a retreat, on 2 April 2012, for senior management to begin defining the details of the Bank’s approach to green growth. [AfDB Press Release]