SEED Symposion: on the path to an environmentally-friendly economy

The SEED South Africa Symposium 2017 in Pretoria brought together enterprises, financial institutions, policy makers, and local business development service providers. 120 participants discussed business approaches to an ecological and socially inclusive economy. 

The private sector plays a critical role in the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in South Africa and Southern Africa. A number of small and medium-sized enterprises already provide suitable approaches to meeting clean energy, climate-smart agriculture, waste management and recycling challenges. But how can we capitalise on these successes to foster an environmentally sustainable, climate change resilient, low-carbon economy and just society?

At the SEED South Africa Symposium around 120 participants from South Africa and Southern Africa jointly developed ideas and approaches to tackle this challenge. With the generous support of the European Union and SWITCH Africa Green, the Government of Flanders, Industrial Development Corporation South Africa and LifeCo UnLtd South Africa, the symposium once again demonstrated its high value in collaboratively developing the conditions necessary to enable social and environmental enterprises in South Africa. The event was held back to back with the SA-EU Sustainability Transition Dialogue in Pretoria, one of five multi-stakeholder workshops organised by the Department of Environmental Affairs, a significant partner of SEED’s activities in South Africa.

With inspiring speeches, enriching panel discussions and interactive workshops, the symposium connected relevant insights on the Agenda 2030 with concrete examples of social and environmental enterprises delivering economic, ecologic and social impacts at the local level. SEED was honoured to welcome Arno Schaefer, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Pretoria, Geraldine Reymenants, General Representative of the Government of Flanders to Southern Africa and Alf Wills, Deputy Director-General of Environmental Affairs in South Africa. They provided valuable insights on how the private sector can play a key role in establishing an ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive society. Two previous SEED Award winners were also able to share with the audience their successful contributions to to sustainable development on the local level. Further insights into the two outstanding business cases of Botanica Natural Products and GreenABLE are available online.

Drawing on their comprehensive experience, key stakeholders from enterprises, policy makers, and civil society developed promising approaches to fostering eco-inclusive entrepreneurship in five highly interactive sessions during the symposium. A highlight for the enterprises was the kick off of the South African Impact Entrepreneurs Network (SAIEN), a focused network BY entrepreneurs FOR entrepreneurs provided by LifeCo UnLtd.

adelphi is the hosting partner of SEED, a global partnership for action on sustainable development and the green economy founded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Visit www.seed.uno for further information.