6th African Economic Conference: Experts to discuss Africa’s green growth economy

Discussions on how Africa can achieve green growth economy will take centre-stage as the Sixth African Economic Conference (AEC) begins October 25, 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, according to organisers.

The AEC which ends October 28 is co-organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB) the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Economists say Africa has one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world with an average growth of 6% a year.

“At the four-day conference, economists and climate change experts from around the world will explore the vital theme of how Africa can achieve ‘green growth’ – that is how to help all African people to achieve prosperity through economic growth but at the same time avoid harming the climate with greenhouse gases, overuse of carbon, and other traditional side-effects of growth,” the AfDB said in a statement.

This is all the more important for Africa because at the moment the continent contributes only 4% of global greenhouses gases.  Africa has the chance, therefore, to maintain a clean record, the statement added.

By Ekow Quandzie