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The economic policies and strategies of the South African government are deeply rooted in explicit commitments to the attainment of high levels of economic growth and social justice. We have never accepted the argument—still espoused in some circles—that purports to find conflict between economic growth and democracy, between economic growth and respect for the basic rights and requirements of workers, communities and the environment. Just as it is impossible to imagine material prosperity in the absence of high rates of economic growth, so is it equally impossible to imagine sustaining the conditions for economic progress in the context of policies that threaten the underlying social and material conditions for that growth: a productive workforce, cohesive communities and a healthy, well-functioning environment.

The essays in this volume reinforce this general approach. Concerned to explore the relationship between industrial growth and the environment, the authors clearly establish compatibility between material progress, on the one hand, and respect for the physical environment, on the other. Indeed, the argument goes further: it establishes that industrial strategies that fail to respect the environment will, at best, generate short-term growth, but will guarantee long-term stagnation. Increasingly, even in the short-term, environmentally destructive strategies and methods of production will fall foul of the minimum requirements of many of our most important trading partners.

There is much work that remains to be done in this area. Policymakers, investors, managers and unions all need to factor these key variables into their decision-making. The Industrial Strategy Project has taken an important first step in providing the basis for informed approaches to this vital and complex area.

Document(s) 3 of 15