South Africa is making policy efforts to invest in a green economy. It is hoped that the green economy will drive growth, provide jobs and ultimately reduce poverty. It has been identified as a key sector for employment creation with the potential for creating at least 300,000 additional direct jobs by 2020. Job creation is expected in the fields of natural resource management, waste management, green energy generation and energy and resource efficiency as well as emission and pollution mitigation. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is recognised as an important step towards sustainable development. TVET programmes must educate and train people to meet the new skills requirements arising in both the green economy as well as economic sectors which are greening. TVET must provide a skilled and capable workforce that contributes to and benefits from a growing greening economy towards the sustainable development of planet earth. TVET must provide adequate skills development to meet the requirements of a greening economy, and contributes to achieving the national and international targets of sustainable development and climate protection.