Regional Green Market Opportunities for Clean Technologies and the Case of Kenya
Dr Mary Wanjiru Kinoti

Abstract
The twentieth century witnessed the democratization of consumption, rise of the mass market and unprecedented expansion of global material wealth. However, this unprecedented economic growth, rapid population growth, and technological changes among others pose several challenges among them climate change, resource depletion, and ecosystem damage. These challenges have brought opportunities similarly for global, regional, national and individual players who are willing to slow or reverse the consequences of climate change while meeting the increasing demand for environmental friendly products globally. There is therefore, enormous global market for green initiatives especially for clean technologies. The market for clean technology in the year 2011/2012 was estimated to $5.5 trillion globally. This market is forecasted to grow at approximately 4.1 Percent annually until 2015/2016. Clean technology investment in developing countries rose by 19 percent in 2012, while global investment declined by 12 percent overall in the same period. This suggest a shift of investment toward developing economies. The green technologies opportunities are largest in the wastewater treatment sector, which makes up about one-third of the total, with small hydro, water treatment, onshore wind power, solar PV, geothermal and bio-energy in that order. Opportunities are also available across the entire clean technology value chain, particularly in equipment manufacture, installation, civil works, retailing, and operations and maintenance (O&M) activities and these opportunities can be exploited both by large and small organizations across regions in bid to exploit the green market opportunities. This paper explores through review of literature how different region globally namely Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Kenya are particularly exploiting the growing opportunities in green and clean technologies globally with a view of dealing with resources depletion and environmental damage caused by unsustainable economic development practices of the past and current generations.

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