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This policy brief outlines a three-step analytical approach to identify and prioritize policy instruments for reducing a country's external environmental footprint, using Sweden as a case study. It identifies approximately 60 existing or potential instruments and recommends a multi-sectoral strategy involving tax adjustments, public procurement criteria, and bilateral cooperation with producer countries to achieve the 'Generational Goal' of solving environmental problems without increasing them outside Swedish borders.

The text calls for world leaders to move beyond declarations and establish a binding global climate pact, citing the IPCC's findings on human-induced warming and the scale of the People’s Climate Mobilization on September 21, 2014, as evidence of the urgent need for coordinated international action on emissions and renewable energy.

The Western Cape government reports significant investment in its green economy, including R20bn allocated to the renewable energy sector in 2013 and specific industrial projects like wind turbine tower manufacturing and solar panel production. Key initiatives include the Green Economy Strategic Framework, the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP), and the establishment of a cleantech Special Economic Zone in Atlantis.

The testimony examines how trade agreements, specifically the GATT Uruguay Round and NAFTA, and the development of the domestic environmental technology industry intersect with United States economic and environmental interests and global competitiveness.

The document highlights the funding gap for green small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa, noting that while the country requires significant annual investment to meet net zero and NDC goals, there is a low risk appetite for early-stage funding. It presents the FNF GreenPitch Challenge as a mechanism to source investment pipelines and support SMME investment readiness. As a specific example, it profiles BioAge, a 2023 pre-growth winner and agri-biotech startup producing the organic fertilizer Nitro-Gro, which aligns with sustainable agriculture market opportunities to improve soil health and crop resilience.

The document highlights a gap in South Africa's climate finance landscape, where a low risk appetite for early-stage green SMMEs coincides with a lack of investment-ready pipelines. It presents the FNF GreenPitch Challenge as a mechanism to address this by sourcing pipelines and supporting SMME investment readiness. The case of STROOM, a women-owned electric cargo bike enterprise, illustrates the potential for micro-mobility to reduce operational costs by over 80% and create jobs in township and rural markets.