Projects

The South African clay brick manufacturing sector is both a diverse and a geographically distributed industry that provides employment both in the organized, formal sector and in an informal sector mostly made up of brickmakers in rural, under-developed areas.

The goal of the project is to provide major opportunities for Ethiopian manufacturing industries in the “green” market segment to acquire a share of the light manufacturing market currently fleeing rising costs in China. This includes such industries as natural-fibre cotton, wool and silk manufacturing, human-made fibre manufacturing, garment manufacturing and the leather, organic food and handicraft industries. The project involves launching three pilot clusters to pave the way for green growth, increased sales and sustainable job creation.

In Ethiopia, tanning is an important economic activity. The country is home to the largest population of livestock in Africa and is the tenth largest livestock producer in the world in 2015. The livestock sector accounts for 16.5% of Ethiopia’s gross domestic product and is an important source of income for the rural population. 

The problem of the collection, management and disposal of waste continues to feature prominently in major towns and cities across African countries. This has led to contamination of water bodies and to the spread of waterborne diseases and other health hazards. In most African countries, waste generation is the result of a rapidly growing urban population, along with the changing patterns of production and consumption inherent to a more urban lifestyle and the consequent industrialization.

In Burkina Faso, solar energy is a sustainable alternative to electricity in terms of availability, cost and carbon emissions. Solar energy systems have not been widely adopted in the country due to barriers such as limited awareness, a high initial investment and limited access to finance. Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises do not have a clear view of their energy consumption patterns or of the opportunities to reduce their costs by using solar energy.

Most micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and business membership organizations are necessity-driven rather than growth-oriented. They are constrained by low start-up capital, a low level of innovation, invention and skill investment, low value addition, an imitation culture, low survival rates, limited access to markets and/or saturated markets, inadequate training and inadequate access to appropriate, tailor-made business development services.

The Kakamega Forest Reserve is the only surviving rainforest in Kenya. The forest provides a unique sanctuary for a remarkable diversity of endemic plants, birds and insects not found anywhere else in Kenya. It is also an important watershed for some of the rivers that flow into Lake Victoria.

Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) account for a sizeable share of Ugandan industry and contribute substantially to the country’s economic development. They are a vehicle through which the rural poor and informally employed Ugandans can transform themselves into the middle and industrial classes of tomorrow. The sector accounts for approximately 90% of the private sector and has potential for long-term growth.

In Uganda, the demand for energy has increased significantly due to economic growth and development, improved standards of living, growing populations and, in particular, accelerating industrial growth. The manufacturing sector uses large amounts of energy to support its production processes and other operations. The micro , small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) of the sector are characterized by low energy efficiency due to the use of obsolete technologies, a lack of skilled labour, poor operating practices and limited use of renewable energy sources.

Given the low level of development in Rodrigues, this project could be considered an opportunity to do things properly the first time around. Rodrigues has the potential to excel in the preservation of its natural environment. The recent banning of plastic bags is an important first step. Alternatives must be identified, however, as the use of plastic bags is deeply engrained in the way of life for the population of the island. This is also important because the island of Mauritius is now moving forward with banning plastic bags at the national level.

In 2012, the Joint Economic Council, which is the coordinating body for the private sector in Mauritius, and the French Development Agency studied the energy efficiency situation in Mauritius by mapping the potential for energy savings in the industrial and tertiary sectors. The results showed that businesses could save about USD 30 million per year on their energy bills if issues such as a lack of supervision and awareness, low trust in energy audits, lack of subsidies and shortage of quality local expertise were addressed.