Technology for Green Growth and Industrialisation

This research paper examines the role of green technology, specifically solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind energy, in decarbonisation and industrialisation. It argues that market forces alone are insufficient for scaling renewable energy and emphasizes the necessity of targeted industrial policy and government intervention to ensure equitable transitions, particularly in developing economies like South Africa and Brazil.

• Solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind energy are the primary focus of this paper because they lead current global deployment trends and are central to decarbonisation strategies. According to the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, these two sources are expected to produce nearly 70% of global electricity by 2050.
• The expansion of renewable energy has been enabled by industrial policy in countries including China, Germany, and India, rather than being driven by market forces alone.
• In developing economies, specifically Brazil and South Africa, the transition to renewables faces challenges regarding local benefits. Public criticism in these nations focuses on weak skills development, limited local manufacturing, and insufficient knowledge transfer.
• In South Africa, the expansion of wind and solar energy risks displacing employment in the coal sector. Local job creation is unlikely unless policies are implemented to support domestic production and supporting ecosystems.
• Economic theories from Daron Acemoglu and Dani Rodrik suggest that governments must actively guide innovation toward clean technology using a mix of subsidies for clean tech and taxes on dirty tech, as market mechanisms cannot displace entrenched high-emission systems on their own.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2025). Technology for Green Growth and Industrialisation. https://saiia.org.za/research/technology-for-green-growth-and-industrialisation/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Technology for Green Growth and Industrialisation. 2025. https://saiia.org.za/research/technology-for-green-growth-and-industrialisation/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Technology for Green Growth and Industrialisation |date=18 November 2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/technology-for-green-growth-and-industrialisation/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2025technology, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Technology for Green Growth and Industrialisation}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/technology-for-green-growth-and-industrialisation/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }