Zuma said government would review its rail investment programme in order to accelerate the shift of freight transport to rail from road. State-owned transport entity Transnet, will invest about R63 billion in the freight rail system over the next five years, he said. "For its part, organised business will continue to promote greater use of rail freight by companies."

Zuma stressed that the country's Green Economy Accord had a strong commitment to employing young people and those historically excluded from the economy. "In particular, government and business have set a target of 80 percent youth amongst new employees in the manufacturing and installation of solar-water heating systems as well as government's public works programmes to green the economy," said Zuma.

He said it was imperative that poor communities did not end up footing the bill, whether through job losses or high prices.

Zuma said electricity utility, Eskom, and business would work to create technologies to reduce emissions from coal-fired plants. The solar and wind energy industries in the country had made a target of creating 50,000 green jobs by 2020. "Government will also support the installation of one million solar water heating systems by 2014 to 2015," said Zuma.

In the short run, green jobs would be created by services associated with cleaning up the environment, "especially recycling, cleaning public spaces, and controlling invasive species," said Zuma

Zuma said the New Growth Path "foresees that in the coming decades, at least a third of new electricity generation will come from renewable sources".