EfD and Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development (GMV), collaborate in a program for IGE capacity development in Eastern Africa. This program strengthens the national capacity to create an inclusive green economy, which is one of the prerequisites for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The training focuses on economic instruments for green growth, while also considering social acceptance of the policy implementations.
This two-year Sida-financed program, which may be extended, started in 2021 and includes Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The participants are civil servants from those countries who learn about and discuss tools for a transition towards an Inclusive Green Economy (IGE).
The EfD centers in each country have set up teams including the center director, a full-time policy engagement specialist, and a senior researcher to support the participants throughout the program. An important feature of the program is thus to strengthen the local networks of policymakers and academics involved in IGE-related policies. Regional peer-learning is also an important feature to help participants benefit from networking and the sharing of knowledge and experiences across borders.
The program consists of five work packages:
- Training-of-trainers, where the participants will learn tools for training their colleagues
- Cross-country peer-learning to share experiences and best practices, particularly regarding their National Policy Reviews of IGE policies
- Inclusive green economy in practice-projects
- Inclusion: Social acceptance for IGE reforms
- Program management, digital learning, and communication
The EfD centers in the participating countries are partners in this program. Researchers and practitioners at the University of Gothenburg, the Swedish Tax Authority, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Resources Institute also provide expertise.