National Business Initiative

UWASP: Virtual Partners Platform Meeting
2021-04-22 09:30 - 12:00 (Africa/Johannesburg)
2021 marks the 5th anniversary of the uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership (UWASP), a collaboration that works to improve water security across the uMhlathuze region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
This 5 year milestone affords us the opportunity to reflect on our efforts to date, share our current activities and progress, and to discuss envisaged projects that could further enhance the region’s water security.
In particular, this meeting will focus on:

A reflection on UWASP’s efforts over the past 5 years;
An overview of UWASP’s current activities;
An input from Mhlathuze Water regarding their current projects and plans; and
A consultation on the proposed online water balance tool envisaged for use in the catchment.

With the meeting being held virtually, we invite stakeholders less familiar with the partnership to join us remotely in celebrating our 5th year and to learn more about the work of UWASP.

Unpacking the Just Transition in developed and developing country contexts from the perspectives of business and labour
2021-04-19 10:00 - 11:30
In light of the global climate crisis, and more recently, due to the need to rebuild their economies following the devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, forward thinking countries are taking the opportunity to transition towards low carbon development pathways. The European Union, China and the United Kingdom, to name a few, have made public commitments to reduce their carbon emissions to net-zero.
As some of our major trading partners progress towards net-zero, we need to set ourselves on a path towards sustainable, equitable, resilient, and economy-wide transitions to ensure we remain globally competitive in the long-term as well as play our part in mitigating the worst impacts of climate change.
The ‘Just Transition’ process captures the need to achieve the global goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, in a way that is fair and equitable and which leaves no one behind.
Join us for an exciting new event hosted by the National Business Initiative (NBI) in partnership with The B Team as we unpack and compare interpretations and understandings of the ‘Just Transition’ in developed and developing country contexts. We will also explore how this may impact business conducted, with speakers representing business and labour.
As part of this discussion we will explore the roles and responsibilities of labour and business and how these differ in developing and developed country contexts as well as issues of inequality and ownership. Overall, we will seek to highlight shared and differing characteristics of the respective transitions. We will also be looking at examples of best practice by business in these different contexts and talking broadly about the extent to which country contexts influence the structure and nature of future investment opportunities.
This engagement aims to develop more nuanced understandings of the ‘Just Transition’ in developing country contexts when compared to that of a developed country. Through dialogue between developed and developing country stakeholders, we hope to achieve and communicate these understandings to relevant stakeholders in the public, private and civil society sectors to ultimately ensure greater success in its conception and implementation over time.

Unlocking Corporate Procurement to Drive South Africa’s Renewable Electricity Transition Launch
2021-03-29 14:00 - 16:00
Join the National Business Initiative (NBI) in partnership with The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), The Climate Group, CDP and supported by We Mean Business, to accelerate corporate renewable electricity procurement in South Africa.
A renewable electricity revolution is underway across the globe. This transition to renewable based electricity is a gamechanger for sustainable growth and global efforts to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Companies in South Africa are the largest consumers of electricity and therefore play a critical role in unlocking the widespread systemic change needed to achieve a carbon-neutral future. To this end, more than 50 companies with operations in South Africa have embarked on plans to procure 100% renewable power by 2050 or sooner, through RE100, led by the Climate Group and CDP, or the WBCSD’s REscale initiative.
To unlock opportunities for corporate renewable procurement, the NBI, WBCSD, The Climate Group, CDP and We Mean Business coalition will be hosting a multi-stakeholder online workshop on the 29th of March 2021, to discuss how businesses, renewable electricity suppliers and municipalities can best realise the opportunities for corporate renewable electricity procurement in South Africa.
This Launch will kickstart a broader stream of work aiming to:

Unlock opportunities for local companies committed to reaching net-zero emissions by facilitating discussions with renewable electricity suppliers, local government, and cities;
Bring together electricity buyers and producers to understand common challenges; and
Understand how companies can accelerate the renewable electricity transition in South Africa.

RE100 is a global initiative bringing together over 270 of the world’s most influential businesses driving the transition to 100% renewable electricity. WBCSD’s REscale members share the ambition to scale up renewable deployment beyond average growth to achieve 3.5 TW of capacity by 2025.

Building climate leadership and action in the lead up to UN Climate Change Conference, COP26 in Glasgow
2021-03-26 11:00 - 13:00
The British High Commissioner to South Africa, Nigel Casey MVO, Chief Executive Officer of the National Business Initiative (NBI), Joanne Yawitch and Charles Perry of the COP26 Climate Champions Team are hosting a discussion for NBI Member Companies, on building climate ambition and private sector leadership in the lead up to COP26.
The year 2021 is a pivotal moment in the race to tackle climate change. Countries only have a limited amount of time in which to act if the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
The United Kingdom was the first major economy in the world to make a legally binding net zero commitment, followed by the European Union in March 2020. The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, announced that China aimed to go carbon neutral by 2060. Since then, Japan and South Korea have joined what the UN estimates is now a total of over 110 countries that have set a net zero target by 2050. Together, these countries represent more than 65% of global emissions and more than 70% of the world economy.
South Africa’s key trade partners are already signing up to deep carbon cuts. To access these new markets and capital, South Africa needs to position itself as a credible market. In order to be credible South Africa needs to demonstrate similar levels of ambition and demonstrate what needs to be done (and what international support is needed), to get there.
Business has a pivotal role to play in transforming economies to to achieve net zero by 2050. The South African business community will need to consolidate efforts across whole sectors and value chains to enable this goal. To enhance business credibility we need to make similarly bold commitments and back them up with clear action.
The NBI, in partnership with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is leading work together with the South African business community to develop an ambitious, fact-based, and unified business view ahead of COP26 on what a ‘Just Transition’ could look like for South Africa. This work will support sectors and companies to develop long-term low-carbon pathways and identify ways to finance and implement them.
The COP26 Summit will bring parties together, including business, to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This is a major opportunity to present South Africa’s long term plan and ambition and therefore position South Africa as a major investment destination.

Envisioning South Africa’s Just Transition and Climate Pathways - Realising opportunities for the Youth
2021-03-17 15:30 - 16:30
South Africa’s economy is highly carbon and energy intensive and is also extremely vulnerable to both the transition and physical risks from climate change. We are also an acutely unequal society, marked by gross levels of economic exclusion. South Africa must achieve a just and inclusive transition to realise economic opportunities and competitiveness, to enhance social cohesion and to address intergenerational climate impacts and justice for country’s youth in generations to follow.
Meaningful engagement with South Africa’s youth, who constitute almost a third of the population, is crucial for ensuring that climate action is ambitious, inclusive, and timely.
In recognition of the key role that South Africa’s young people must play in order to achieve a just, inclusive, and economically competitive transition, the NBI and SAIIA (South African Institute of International Affairs) are pleased to host a series of Business-Youth engagements on transition issues and climate pathways for key sectors in South Africa’s economy, providing a platform for a strong youth voice in guiding this transition.
An initial closed roundtable session is proposed with the following objectives:

To present South African business voices on climate change mitigation advocacy and action
To hear and understand youth perspectives on climate change mitigation and their expectations from business
To understand how the youth envisions businesses of the future to look like in the context of an achieved Just Transition in South Africa

This roundtable discussion will take place online on Wednesday, 17th March 2021, from 15:00 to 16:30.
Kindly click here to RSVP for this session.

Gender Pay Gap Report Launch 2021
2021-03-12 11:00 - 13:00
What would it mean to pay women fairly for the value of their work?
This is a question the National Business Initiative (NBI) has set out to answer together with the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) at the University of Witwatersrand and with the support of the South African Rewards Association (SARA). The gender pay gap is a symptom of structural societal and economic inequity that not only detrimentally impacts women, but affects whole economies.
Closing the gender pay gap is about more than just equal pay for equal work. Fundamentally, it is about addressing gender inequality, which has far-reaching implications for building a sustainable and inclusive society. Gender pay parity is recognised as a crucial step in this regard and when addressed, has the potential to fundamentally transform both economies and societies.
In partnership with the SCIS and SARA, the NBI conducted the Gender Pay Gap Pilot to develop a methodology, guided by economic models which leverage available company data, to measure the pay gap within South African companies. The next step is to test methodologies for the calculation of gender pay disparities within companies. This involves developing a tool over the next few months, which will allow companies to securely submit their datasets and measure their income discrepancies.
The results of the pilot process included a standardised methodology that can be applied across sectors. The solutions proposed for correcting the wage gap are available in our latest report, which will be launched on 12 March 2021. Please join us online as we launch the Gender Pay Gap Report and discuss important findings from the pilot study.
Click here to RSVP.

Transparency in Corporate Reporting 2020: Report Launch
2020-12-02 11:00 - 13:00
Corruption Watch (the South African chapter of Transparency International) and ODI (an international development thinktank in London), in partnership with the Ethical Leadership & Anti-Corruption Programme of the National Business Initiative (NBI), are hosting the launch of Transparency in Corporate Reporting: Assessing South African Companies 2020.
This important benchmarking study used an objective questionnaire to score and rank 100 corporations in South Africa on the transparency of their reporting on:

Anti-corruption programmes;
Subsidiary and associated companies; and
Operations outside South Africa.

The Report is based on a close examination of annual reports and other publicly available documentation on corporate websites. The sample includes nearly 70 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), as well as large privately-owned corporations, state-owned enterprises and foreign multinationals. The average score of 59.5% for the sample reflects some positive signs, but our analysis of the results also suggests some ‘red flags’ which corporates need to address.
The Transparency in Corporate Reporting (TRAC) study will enhance ethics, integrity and transparency in the business sector and strengthen anti-corruption programmes. Transparency of business activities is crucial for good corporate governance, which in turn contributes to improved corporate performance across all dimensions. We believe that peer pressure and competition linked to the TRAC rankings will reinforce better governance. This project builds upon Corruption Watch’s 2016 work on Transparency in Corporate Reporting, which covered 50 companies.
The event will include a panel discussion as well as insights from:

Nicky Newton-King: former CEO of the JSE
Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita: CEO of IchorCoal & Chair of the JSE Board
Cas Coovadia: CEO of BUSA & Chair of the NBI Board

Please join us for this online Launch on Wednesday, 2 December 2020 at 11:00 to hear key insights from the research, as well as lessons for companies for their corporate reporting in future.

Unlocking a Just Transition for South Africa - Opportunities for Green Jobs, Industries and Climate Resilience
2020-12-01 10:00 - 11:30
The South African economy is highly energy and carbon intensive and also extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The country is also an acutely unequal society, marked by gross levels of unemployment and poverty. South Africa must achieve a Just Transition to avoid exacerbating inequality, maintain social cohesion, eradicate poverty and plan for the physical impacts of climate change.
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (former Economic Development Department), jointly commissioned Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) to undertake a National Employment Vulnerability Assessment (NEVA) to delve into the climate-change related impacts on businesses, workers and communities in key value chains, namely:

The coal value chain
The metals value chain
Petroleum-based transport value chain
Agriculture value chain
Tourism value chain

Complementary to NEVA is the development of a set of Sector Job Resilience Plans (SJRPs) for the aforementioned value chains. The SJRP assess the opportunities for green jobs and industries; and climate resilience interventions to anchor and drive South Africa’s transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and inclusive economy and society.
The National Business Initiative (NBI) in partnership with DEFF, is pleased to invite you to attend an online interactive session, as a critical next step to the development of NEVA and SJRPs, to identify viable and effective programmes that could be implemented from these SJRPs in order to contribute to a Just Transition for South Africa. Core to this session, is a collaborative engagement on how business can best enable and realise the opportunities presented by a transition to a low carbon and climate resilient economy and; to respond to the economic risks of climate change as a key stakeholder in South Africa’s climate response. The event will concentrate on SJRPs areas that can assist sectors and companies in key value chains to realise the green economy opportunities.
Business leadership is key to a successful transition: one that is just and equitable, driving economic growth and competitiveness with tangible social benefits. Business-led engagements with Government and civil society on transition issues for key sectors present a real opportunity for a strong business leadership voice in guiding this transition both in response to climate change and other global trends.

CEO Thought Leadership Dialogue: How Inclusive Organisations Drive a High Performance Culture
2020-11-26 10:00 - 11:30
African Bank in partnership with the National Business Initiative (NBI), under the NBI’s Social Transformation Bold and Transformative Leadership Pathway invite you to attend the CEO Thought Leadership Dialogue on How inclusive organisations drive a high performance culture.
The NBI’s CEO Dialogue Series is an important virtual engagement for business leaders. It is an opportunity to explore both challenges and opportunities, lessons, and best practice vital to our economic recovery.
During this dialogue with African Bank CEO Basani Maluleke, we will investigate the importance of inclusive organisational cultures in helping organisations grow, succeed and be sustainable in challenging economic circumstances.
With the global pandemic exacerbating economic challenges, it is even more critical that organisations redefine their values, whilst translating their visions in the organisation and adjusting to transformative policies and cultures. The purpose of this discussion is to draw on experiences from African Bank’s CEO: Basani Maluleke in conversation with Change and Transformational Professional Nene Molefe, around the concept of leadership in the financial services sector, the challenges of changing organisational cultures and the necessity of inclusion and transformation.
Thought Leaders:
Basani Maluleke | African Bank, CEO
Nene Molefe | Mandate Molefi, Owner and Managing Director
Moderated by:
Gugu McLaren-Ushewokunze | NBI, Head of Social Transformation
On behalf of the NBI, we would like to invite you to join our virtual event, discussing how organisations can create high performance cultures by being inclusive and transformative. Please forward this invite to other relevant people within your organisation.

Addressing Economic Inclusion through Skills Development and Youth Employability in the Township Economy
2020-11-25 14:00 - 16:00
The National Business Initiative (NBI) manages the Installation, Repair and Maintenance (IRM) Initiative, a broad partnership between TVET Colleges, industry and Government to expand artisanal skills development and employment across the broad industrial economy. The IRM Initiative forms part of the Presidential Jobs Summit Framework Agreement and has two broad objectives:

Unlock opportunities in IRM enterprises across the formal and informal/Township Economy for the training and employment of young people
Create an enabling environment for the provision of recognised IRM skills for workers, unemployed and new entrants in IRM enterprises

The IRM Initiative recognises that youth unemployment will not be solved through labour absorption in the formal sector alone, and that township youth in particular face significant barriers in accessing and sustaining employment opportunities. Therefore, it is critical to support and develop township enterprises so as to grow economic activity and unlock the demand for skills and jobs.
We invite you to attend an online Thought Leadership Dialogue on Wednesday, 25 November 2020 from 14:00 to 16:00.
The Dialogue seeks to:

Present the strategic vision and implementation plan for the IRM Township Economy Programme;
Interrogate the potential of the IRM Initiative for unlocking jobs for young people in the Township Economy through enterprise development, skills development and increased market linkages;
Explore how companies in the formal sector can collaborate and participate in this programme and the benefits and impact thereof for participating companies in terms of ESD and SED strategies; and
Critically reflect on the role public TVET colleges can play in providing the necessary skills for young people to enter into employment and entrepreneurship in the Township Economy context.

We look forward to your attendance. If you feel you are not the correct person to attend, kindly forward this invite to the appropriate person in your organisation.
RSVP here.

Construction Action Lab: Enterprise Development, Skills Development and Youth Employability in the Township Economy
2020-11-24 10:00 - 12:00
The National Business Initiative (NBI) is managing the Installation, Repair and Maintenance (IRM) Initiative, a national programme to expand skills and employment opportunities across the industrial economy, with a particular focus on the green economy. The IRM Initiative forms part of the Presidential Jobs Summit Framework and aligns with the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative, operating across the formal and township economy. Working with Government and industry, the NBI is building a model to unlock real demand for skills and jobs in township communities, through enterprise development, skills development and market linkages into formal sector supply and value chains.
The NBI and the Gauteng Office of the Premier, together with the Public Private Growth Initiative (PPGI) and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator will be convening a Construction Action Lab linked to the significant investment in infrastructure development in Gauteng, over the next few years.
The Action Lab will provide a platform for conducive engagement around leveraging off this investment to ensure that meaningful opportunities are created for the development and growth of township contractors, and simultaneously create scalable training and employment opportunities for local youth.
In order to achieve this, the Action Lab will seek to:

Understand what is already in place, what is working and can be complemented or further developed, and what is not working and provides important lessons;
Explore innovative, effective and scalable mechanisms and options for inclusive enterprise development and job creation in township communities;
Develop a common and actionable approach amongst key stakeholders around how to meaningfully support and enable agreed interventions, including roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder; and
Provide practical steps for taking the agreed approach forward.

On behalf of the NBI, the Gauteng Office of the Premier, the Public Private Growth Initiative (PPGI) and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, we would like to invite you to participate in the virtual Construction Action Lab.
If you feel you are not the correct person to attend, please forward this invite to the appropriate person in your organisation.
Kindly click Accept should you wish to attend this online session.

Race to Zero Dialogues: Finance Day
2020-11-19 12:05 - 12:55
“Market Mechanisms to Drive Transition in Developing Countries, South Africa”
We are in a race. Unlike most races, there is no one winner. In this race we all win, or we all lose. Winning will mean a radical, unprecedented level of collaboration from all corners of our world.
The High-Level Champions for Global Climate Action are convening the Race to Zero Dialogues, in close collaboration with the Marrakech Partnership, as a critical input to the UNFCCC Climate Dialogues to accelerate progress to meet the Paris Agreement. Race to Zero is a global campaign mobilizing leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero-carbon future that creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive and sustainable growth.
The National Business Initiative (NBI) and the Race to Zero Coalition have the pleasure of inviting you to the upcoming NBI Race to Zero Dialogue: Finance Day event taking place on Thursday, 19 November 2020. The NBI event, entitled “Market Mechanisms to Drive Transition in Developing Countries, South Africa” will position private sector leadership and action as a critical element of achieving a just and inclusive climate transition.
Join the CEOs of South Africa’s leading companies and senior Government officials in a thought-provoking discussion on how to address the complexity of developing country transition pathways and market-led opportunities as part of broader socio-economic transformation critical to ensuring long-term competitiveness and, developmental pathways that are equitable and just.
The NBI event will focus on three key aspects of achieving a just climate transition:

Embracing green finance opportunities and private sector action to advance low-carbon climate resilient growth to drive South Africa’s transition;
Reflecting on the optimal suite of policies to facilitate and enable the transition for South Africa through market mechanisms; and
Driving green structural change through the transformation and alignment of the national sustainable transition roadmaps and low carbon climate resilient growth.

Alliance for Climate Action Countdown Event
2020-11-18 14:00 - 15:30
The Mayor of Johannesburg speaks about the need for partnerships and innovation for a net-zero economy for South Africa by 2050: A TEDxACASouthAfrica Countdown Event
The Alliance for Climate Action South Africa is participating in the global Countdown Initiative created by TEDx in partnership with Future Stewards. Countdown aims to mobilise millions around the world to meet the goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and working towards climate resilient pathways, mitigation strategies and adaptation opportunities in the race to a net zero-carbon world by 2050. Our event will highlight discussions and actions taking place in our developing country context as part of the global Countdown Initiative.
The content of this online engagement is as follows:

The Mayor of Johannesburg, Councillor Makhubo, will set the scene on the city’s specific developmental challenges and share its experiences as well as its climate response;
A panel of city and business professionals will unpack the potential for South African partnerships and innovations in response to the climate crisis and to highlight ideas, solutions and actions that could be taken by cities and companies who have made the commitment to a net zero economy for South Africa by 2050; and
In order to understand global best practice on smart, resilient and climate neutral cities in the local context, a thought-provoking Countdown video will be screened for discussion.

We invite you to join this online session to find out why climate action must be taken urgently by all sectors of society, to hear what South African cities and businesses are doing to honour their climate commitments, and, most importantly, to find out how your organisation can help build a better future for our country.
To learn more about the Countdown and the ACA please click here.

Gauteng Water Alliance 2020 Meeting
2020-11-13 10:00 - 13:00
As evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, adequate risk preparedness is critical for economic development, including in the South African water sector. Based on growing urban water demand and delays in water augmentation, the Gauteng province runs the risk of significant water restrictions in the near future, including running out of water to meet demand. This risk could be disastrous for the country, given the critical importance of Gauteng for the national economy.
The work of the National Business Initiative (NBI), alongside its partners and members in the uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership, Western Cape Drought Task Force and recent Gauteng COVID-19 Water Response, demonstrate that effective public-private sector collaboration does make a difference in risk mitigation and crisis aversion.
Please join us for the upcoming engagement of the Gauteng Water Alliance, which will focus on:

Understanding the current state and vulnerabilities of the Vaal System
Providing an update on work undertaken within the Alliance to date, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Outlining the findings of research conducted on industry water risk mitigation in the Province, as well as additional measures companies would like to implement
Providing an overview of some of the financing options available for industrial water efficiency

This meeting of the Alliance will have an industrial and company focus.

Insights into the Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) by Cas Coovadia
2020-11-12 10:00 - 12:00
We are pleased to invite you to join Cas Coovadia, National Business Initiative’s (NBI) Chairperson and Business Unity South Africa’s (BUSA) CEO, on Thursday the 12th of November at 10:00 to learn about and get insight into the Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) that has been put forward by Business for South Africa (B4SA); within the context of the announcement by President Ramaphosa of the South African Recovery and Reconstruction Plan.
Cas will give an overview on how the plan intends to save existing jobs and accelerate creation of new jobs, including economic growth, country competitiveness and a sustainable effective state.
He will also focus on the role of business, and how, together with leaders of Government, organised communities and labour will harmonise and fast-track the implementation of the common areas of intervention of the ERP and the Jobs Summit in 2018, leading to an accelerated and inclusive economic recovery in South Africa.
The dialogue will be hosted by Joanne Yawitch, NBI CEO.

Consultation on the City of Johannesburg’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) with Business Stakeholders and the Alliance for Climate Action South Africa
2020-11-11 14:00 - 16:00
The City of Johannesburg has committed to a green economy transition as indicated in their growth and development strategy for 2040 and beyond. Outcome 2 in particular states that “The City plans to lead in the establishment of sustainable, eco-efficient infrastructure solutions and to create a landscape that is liveable, resilient, sustainable and supports low carbon initiatives”. The City has made a net zero by 2050 commitment through the C40 Cities Network where it has reinforced its plan to show it will adapt and improve its resilience to climate hazards. With this commitment in place, the City is in the process of developing their Climate Action Plan and with the support of the Alliance for Climate Action of which C40, WWF and NBI are partners.
Developing an ambitious CAP is a vital step for cities to respond to the climate crisis and engage with stakeholders in making informed decisions. It does this through enabling cities to identify and respond to socio-economic challenges while managing their climate risks such as GHG emissions and addressing their adaptation needs.
The City has engaged internally with other city stakeholders as well as stakeholders from civil society and is now ready to share their CAP priority actions with business for further feedback. Please join us for a workshop with the City of Joburg, convened by the Alliance for Climate Action, where the City will share the preliminary CAP with business stakeholders and start exploring opportunities for collaboration for implementation of the plan. The online workshop will take place on Wednesday 11 November 14:00 – 16:00 via MS Teams. This work is a collective initiative of the Alliance for Climate Action (C40, NBI and WWF) to assist in connecting cities and businesses to find opportunities with CAP implementation.
Kindly click Accept should you wish to attend this session.

CEO Thought Leadership Dialogue: Gender-Based Violence – How Leadership Can Make a Difference
2020-11-05 10:00 - 11:30
The global COVID-19 pandemic has not only compounded the effects of existing gender inequalities but also increased instances of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Many countries enforced lockdown protocols to curb the spread of the virus, with community-based and civil society organisations endeavouring to ensure continued support and services to survivors and victims of GBV, in the face of escalating reports of violence within homes.
During these uncertain times of working within a ‘new normal’, this National Business Initiative (NBI) CEO Thought Leadership Dialogue webinar will reflect on the various responses of organisations to GBV during the COVID-19 period. The objective is to share knowledge and best practice in co-creating solutions and exploring practical responses/interventions.
The NBI is hosting the CEO Dialogue Series as an important virtual engagement for business leaders to explore both the challenges and opportunities which are central to an economic recovery from COVID-19.
We are proud to invite you to attend the first CEO Dialogue scheduled for the 5th of November 2020.
Purpose:
The purpose of this discussion is to draw on experiences from different sectors around the concept of leadership in the private sector, translating commitments into tangible organisational aspects of behaviour within institutions. This executive discussion will focus on GBV and how leadership can make a significant difference through key practical responses.
Thought Leader:
Mr Graham O’Connor | Spar Group, CEO
Moderated by:
Ms Vumile Msweli |Hesed Consulting

On behalf of the National Business Initiative, we would like to invite you to join our virtual event in discussing Gender Based Violence – How Leadership can make a difference (Exploring Practical Responses). Please forward this invite to other relevant people within your organisation.

Business Leadership for a Sustainable Future: WBCSD Vision 2050 Refresh Webinar
2020-11-04 11:00 - 13:00
The National Business Initiative (NBI), as the local network partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), is excited to invite you to attend an update from the WBCSD on the refresh of Vision 2050.
Vision 2050 was a landmark report issued a decade ago, focused on opportunities for business to help unlock the transformations required to allow over 9 billion people to live well, within the boundaries of the planet, by mid-century. Vision 2050 is a blueprint of the unprecedented opportunities available to businesses who understand that we can no longer operate in business-as-usual mode.
The core principles of Vision 2050 are the key attributes of successful business planning, which include understanding the current situation, identifying the obstacles to success, and creating pathways to overcome those obstacles. These key tenets are more necessary than ever under the current operating context of COVID-19.
At the beginning of 2020, with over three dozen leading companies, the WBCSD launched a collective, business-led effort to revisit its Vision 2050. The NBI and member companies participated in a key engagement workshop as part of a global roadshow across key geographies including: Africa; Australia; Brazil; China; Europe; India; Japan; Latin America; North America and Southeast Asia. This process was completed by October 2020.
The key findings from this first phase include the necessary social, economic and political shifts required to build back better as we recover from COVID-19, including the new critical elements that have emerged over the past months with the pandemic changing the way we live and work. Importantly, these developments help us to understand and shape the necessary systems transformations and also establish what the role of business needs to be.
The NBI would like to invite you to a feed-back session with the WBCSD to understand the key trends that will most likely shape the business operating environment over the next decade. Participants will also be given insights into the positive, opportunity-based, action agenda needed for the decade to come, in support of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Unlocking Private Sector Involvement in the Green Climate Fund Projects in South Africa – Phase 2 Launch
2020-11-03 10:30 - 12:30
The National Business Initiative (NBI) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) are hosting the Phase 2 Launch of Unlocking Private Sector Involvement in the Green Climate Fund Projects in South Africa.
This NBI-SANBI collaboration is designed to help identify areas of vulnerability, areas where our companies are working on adaptation projects already and where, through collaboration, we can scale up these projects to enhance impact and to attract climate finance; providing an opportunity for the private sector to define the role that business can play in South Africa’s GCF projects.
Phase 2 of this SANBI-NBI partnership aims to identify specific projects that can contribute towards a national pipeline of adaptation, biodiversity and ecosystem-based adaptation actions to alleviate the acute shortage of adaption projects locally; and to attract up to US$50 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
Phase 1 convened business in a series of rich capacity building sessions covering the latest information on a range of biodiversity, climate resilience, adaptation finance and ecosystem-based adaptation topics. A recording of each of the four capacity building events is available on the NBI’s YouTube channel and can be accessed here. Phase 3 will shortlist to a few high promise projects with which we can approach the GCF.

NBI Membership Council Meeting October 2020
2020-10-27 10:00 - 12:30
After a year unlike any other, it is with pleasure that we invite you to a meeting of the NBI Membership Council for key insights into what the 2021 NBI Strategy has in store for you as our members. We are excited to use this opportunity to share with you how the NBI 2021 Strategy (adopted by the Board on 30th of June 2020) has been developed and aligned to meet the requirements of our current context. The NBI strategy considers the COVID-19 operating context, the responses required to drive innovative economic recovery and the courageous steps needed to address the deep structural weaknesses and inequalities that pervade our society. As always, these solutions showcase the appropriate leadership role for the NBI and our members.
To launch our meeting, Mr Andile Sangqu (Executive in Residence at GIBS) will be providing a dose of inspiration as our thought leader – giving key insights into the role of business and why bold and courageous leadership is necessary to steer us through the current crisis.
Our Chairperson, Cas Coovadia will lead the programme and encourage engagement and feedback from you, our valued NBI members, on both the NBI Strategy and your thoughts on the pivotal role of business in society.
Kindly contact Jo-Anne Stanford should you wish to attend this meeting.

TLS: Organisational Culture Driven by a Values-Based Leadership
2020-10-23 14:00 - 15:30
“VALUES-BASED LEADERS CREATE AND LEAD VALUES-DRIVEN COMPANIES THAT ARE ENERGIZED, EQUIPPED AND ORGANIZED TO ACHIEVE POWERFUL GOALS.’’
Context:
South Africa is growing increasingly impatient with the status quo, as expectations from society that corruption in both the private and public sectors will be dealt with decisively are not met. Ethics, Corporate Governance and Anti-Corruption Initiatives have never been more relevant and needed in South Africa. Organisational cultures that are driven by a Values-based Leadership are fundamental in creating and promoting an ethical business environment.
The National Business Initiative (NBI) published a benchmark study in May 2020, Understanding the Private Sectors’ Approach to Anti-Corruption. Corruption in the private sector is often presented in subtle ways but has corrosive impacts on companies. The multi-divisional structure of corporations, the ways that remuneration and reward are structured and the approaches of middle and senior leadership, often result in constant conflict between, ‘’doing what is right” and “the current way of doing things” in business practice. This dichotomy in behaviour across both informal and formal structures, systems and even networks perpetuates corruption in organisations, through habituation and thus is often integral to the culture of organisations.
Purpose:
The purpose of this Thought Leadership Series (TLS) is to draw on experiences from different sectors around the concept of a Values-Based Leadership and how this translates into tangible organisational aspects of behaviour. Finally the TLS will to examine how the wrong values can manifest into unethical corporate behaviours.
Speakers:

EOH I Stephen Van Coller I CEO
ABSA Group I Masego (Mabyane) Haile Solomon I Head of Ethics
Public Service Commission | Advocate Richard Sizani | Chairperson of the Public Service Commission
Protected by Artificial Intelligence Africa | Macfarlane Moleli | CEO

“CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR LUNCH’’
– RICHARD CLARK: CEO, MERCK
On behalf of the Social Transformation Team, we would like to invite you to join our virtual event in discussing Organisational Culture Driven by a Values-Based Leadership. Please forward this invite to other relevant people within your organisation.

6 Online Workshops in October/November 2020: Developing a Green Finance Taxonomy for South Africa
2020-10-12 09:30 - 2020-11-06 13:00
“Stakeholder engagements to inform the development of a Green Finance Taxonomy for South Africa”
Under the leadership of National Treasury, and with support from IFC (part of the World Bank Group), the National Business Initiative (NBI) and the Carbon Trust are working to develop a national Green Finance Taxonomy. This is one of the key recommendations of the Financing a Sustainable Economy draft technical paper, recently published by National Treasury.
Building on complementary initiatives and expertise in the South African market, the first national Taxonomy will be developed iteratively, informed by a series of targeted and focused stakeholder engagements.
We have the pleasure of inviting you to participate in a user-group specific workshops to inform the development of a Green Finance Taxonomy.
The objective of this consultation process is to collect your viewpoints and preferences as representatives of your respective organisations, networks, and communities of practice to inform the design, priorities and development of a first version of a Green Finance Taxonomy for South Africa.
Details of the 6 workshops are as follows:

Workshop 1: (Monday, 12 October 2020) will be focusing on Policy Makers and Government Agencies as a critical user group. Please click here to register for this Zoom event.
Workshop 2: (Friday, 16 October 2020) will be focusing on Financial Market Practitioners as a critical user group. Please click here to register for this Zoom event.
Workshop 3: (Friday, 6 November 2020) will be focusing on Companies and Project Developers as a critical user group. Please click here to register for this Zoom event.
Workshop 4: (Monday, 19 October 2020) will be focusing on the Land-Use, Ecosystems and Biodiversity Sector as a critical user group. Please click here to register for this Zoom event.
Workshop 5: (Tuesday, 13 October 2020) will be focusing on realising cooperation/collaboration opportunities with programmes and policy development activities with which this project could align. Please click here to register for this Zoom event.
Workshop 6: (Wednesday, 21 October 2020) will be focusing on Multilateral Development Institutions as a critical user group. Please note that we have changed the commencement time of this session to 13:30.

For further information on the 6 workshops, kindly contact: Reitumetse Molotsoane.

Online NBI Thought Leadership Series: Nature-Based Solutions for Water Security
2020-10-08 14:00 - 16:00
In late 2019 the National Business Initiative (NBI) conducted research on the ways in which South African businesses think about and support nature-based solutions, based on interviews with a range of companies and financial institutions.
In this work we set out to understand how businesses currently engage with the natural infrastructure that underpins their water security, what would enable further company action, and what data and evidence is needed to encourage internal buy-in.
The results were fascinating and we look forward to sharing and debating the findings with you. The findings will also inform the NBI’s involvement in this field for the next 3 years, so we welcome your further guidance and inputs.
Please join us for an NBI member seminar focused on:

An introduction to nature-based solutions and the concept of ecological infrastructure;
A review of the enablers of corporate action on nature-based solutions;
An overview of current South African company efforts and approaches;
Company responses on key data and evidence needs in this field;
The latest thinking on the financing of ecological infrastructure in South Africa; and
An outline of the NBI’s future work on the Ecological Infrastructure for Water Security project.

Speakers:

Steve Nicholls, Head: Environmental Sustainability, NBI
Alex McNamara, Programme Manager: Climate & Water, NBI
Mmaphefo Thwala, Project Manager: Water, NBI

Understanding the Experiences of LGBTQI+ Employees in the Workplace
2020-09-30 11:00 - 13:00
The National Business Initiative (NBI) recently concluded research on Understanding the Experiences of LGBTQI+ Employees in the Workplace. By understanding the experiences of LGBTQI+ employees, companies are in a better position to formulate transformative policies and create inclusive cultures which recognise inclusion as a human right.
Transformation efforts are multifaceted as they require systemic and behavioural changes. Some of the key findings reflected in the research Report emphasise the complexities of belonging in the workplace. Affirmation and inclusion extend to addressing stereotypes, microaggressions and biases which negatively affect how LGBTQI+ employees are able to navigate and succeed at work.
This discussion intends to unpack key findings from the NBI’s research Report, including understanding the importance of social behaviours and attitudes as well as exploring the transformation interventions needed to prioritise LGBTQI+ employees’ belonging in the workplace.
On behalf of the Social Transformation Team, we would like to invite you to join our online event, discussing The Experiences of LGBTQI+ Employees in the Workplace.
RSVP here.

NBI Online Event: ACA SA - Innovative collaborations to drive our climate-smart economic recovery
2020-08-13 11:30 - 15:00
Countries globally are facing the unprecedented challenge of stimulating their economies in the short-and medium-term in response to COVID-19. For a robust economic recovery, it is crucial that they ensure their economies are competitive and sustainable in the long-term. This event aims to build the capacity of city representatives as well as private sector stakeholders to engage on what a post-COVID green economic recovery could look like for South Africa and to share insight into what different stakeholders are doing in the space.
An increased ratio of debt to GDP along with a stagnant economy and the impact of COVID-19 have exacerbated socio-economic challenges of inequality, poverty, and unemployment in South Africa. This leaves South African business, communities and municipalities struggling. To secure finance for immediate relief stimulus and long-term investment at an affordable price, South Africa must demonstrate that we are working to address various forms of climate risk, such as physical and transition risk. We are poised at a unique moment for South Africa to attract investment and financial relief packages that can stimulate a just transition towards a net zero carbon, socially equal, climate-resilient, thriving and sustainable economy.
We invite you to join the Alliances for Climate Action South Africa (a partnership Initiative convened by C40, NBI and WWF), as well as the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), to unpack:

Why a post-COVID economic recovery plan for the country needs to be climate smart to ensure South Africa’s long-term economic wellbeing.
How local governments are thinking about post-COVID economic stimulus.
The work cities are doing to update their Climate Action Plans aligned to net zero emissions targets by 2050.
How the private sector can collaborate at sector level and with local government, through the Alliances for Climate Action South Africa (ACA SA), to unlock low-carbon and climate-resilient opportunities for collaboration and investment.

City and business participants in the ACA SA are standing up for a net carbon neutral economy by 2050, taking their own action to get there, and collaborating to do more than they could alone, in order to unlock opportunities to transition our economy. This is one of several Alliances in countries around the world www.alliancesforclimateaction.org.

NBI’s SDGs Online Roadshow 2020
2020-08-06 12:00 - 2020-08-07 15:00
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global framework for sustainable development that call for business involvement in their implementation at global, national and local scales.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the deep interdependencies between business and economic sustainability as well as social and environmental wellbeing. The SDGs are specifically formulated to provide a guideline for how to build, transition and maintain businesses and economies that promote social equality and wellbeing as well as environmental resilience and regeneration. Had the global community progressed further in SDG implementation, COVID-19 would not have resulted in the far reaching and devastating social and economic impacts, that have occurred to date.
Two years ago, the National Business Initiative (NBI), in partnership with the Danish Industry (DI), held an SDGs roadshow with business stakeholders in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, sharing knowledge and tools to encourage South African companies to incorporate the SDGs into core business. Much has changed since then. The COVID pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis each represent a unique opportunity for business to reflect on the benefits of using the SDGs as a robust framework to analyse risk and opportunity, thereby informing a roadmap for building durable businesses and a resilient society and environment.
This year, the NBI will again team up with DI to hold the SDGs Roadshow 2020 online. This event will take place over 2 engaging online sessions, spread over two days. Each session will be 3 hours long and the overall roadshow aims to build the capacity of participants in order to:

Understand why the SDGs are important in the creation of resilient, thriving, and sustainable societies and economies
Understand the business case for mainstreaming the implementation of the SDGs into your business
Use a selection of tools developed, piloted and proven by both DI and the NBI to integrate the SDGs into your core business

Join us online on the 6th and 7th of August for two engaging sessions designed to help you take your company’s SDGs process to the next level, with key insights provided from experts in the field and case studies presented by other leading companies, who have made significant progress.
We recommend that attendees join both sessions for maximum benefit. Our events team will share calendar invitations for both days to all those who RSVP by clicking the “accept” button below. Attendees will then be free to accept both the calendar invites (one for each session) or to choose whether to join one of the sessions only.
Accept SDGs Online Roadshow.

NBI Online Event: Energy Management, Crises and Competitiveness
2020-08-05 14:00 - 15:30
Energy efficiency is the basis for competitiveness, long-term resilience and a vital part of a business’ crisis management toolkit. Integrating ambitious energy targets into a business strategy therefore allows leading companies to drive innovation in energy efficiency; achieving significant long-term value and increased reliability by:

Reducing individual utility bills;
Decreasing backup generation needs and up-front capital costs;
Helping to stabilise electricity prices and volatility;
Generating revenue and supporting the grid of the future; and
Decreasing life-cycle costs and increasing value.

You will hear from Woolworths and Sasol, two leading South African companies who are EP100 members, as they reflect on their individual energy productivity journey, commitments to double energy productivity and actions they have taken in support of this goal. They will cover how resilience planning, implementing new energy technology and decreasing energy demand in facilities, have benefitted their business, increased overall resilience, contributed to sustainability targets and minimised vulnerabilities to climate-related impacts. You will also hear from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, speaking on South Africa’s efficiency strategy and programmes landscape and the Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings and Infrastructure Programme.

Online Launch of the NBI Just Transitions Pathways Project
2020-07-28 09:00 - 11:00
Countries globally are facing the unprecedented challenge of stimulating their economies in the short and medium-term in response to COVID-19 and climate change in the long-term. Climate change and its impacts, is a significant threat to South Africa’s economy. It is crucial that we ensure our economy is competitive and sustainable in the long-term. This is especially true for South Africa where it is possible that a key element of any post COVID-19 economic stimulus is green stimulus. Increasingly finance conditionalities require addressing climate risk and economic transition.
It is essential that the South African business community can lead in directing how we should transition our economy to one that, in 2050, is low-carbon and competitive. This requires us making critical decisions now.
The National Business Initiative (NBI), in partnership with Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is leading work that will support sectors and companies to develop long-term low-carbon pathways and identify ways to finance and implement them.
The project has 2 key objectives:

Expediting a Green Stimulus strategy as part of South Africa’s COVID-19 response; and
Developing an ambitious, fact-based, and unified business view ahead of COP26 on what a ‘Just Transition’ could look like for South Africa.

Please join leading South African CEOs including Andre de Ruyter of Eskom, Fleetwood Grobler of Sasol, Cas Coovadia of BUSA and Joanne Yawitch of the NBI as we launch the NBI Just Transition Pathways project. We will provide detail on our project and explain opportunities for you and your CEOs to get involved.

NBI Online Event: Green Recovery: Stimulating Post-COVID Economic Competitiveness in South Africa
2020-07-09 14:00 - 15:30
South Africa is severely exposed to climate risk, which in turn amplifies the effects of other environmental and social challenges, including the current COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we need to embrace and carefully consider transitioning our economy to one that is green, low-carbon, socially inclusive, and more resilient. Doing so will bring its own challenges in terms of ensuring a just transition for all sectors of society. We also face the immediate need of rebuilding the economy post this current COVID-19 pandemic. South Africa’s GDP is expected to contract at least by 4% to 10%, with up to 1 million jobs and 1600 businesses at risk. Rather than adding to Government’s burden, green and sustainable finance offer a way to address South Africa’s social and economic priorities and to create new investment opportunities, attracting local as well as international capital. The time is right to unlock alternative forms of funding and channel these to sustainable projects and sectors that build South Africa’s long-term competitiveness and resilience.
Green Stimulus is the key to fast-tracking job creation, improving liquidity, and to putting South Africa on a path to economic recovery without compromising long-term competitiveness.
It provides four strategic advantages to South Africa:

Access to more funding | Up to $83bn additional funding available
Access to cheaper funding | On average up to 18bps cheaper bonds
Positive job impact | Up to 500k direct jobs unlocked in green investments
Economic prosperity in the long term | Mitigates up to R1.8Tr in transition risks and enhancing competitiveness

Leading nations and lending institutions are already voicing the importance and benefits of a ‘Green Recovery’ – multiple countries have indicated that stimulus packages will be ‘Green’ stimulus packages. If South Africa does not invest in a similar way, we risk trade pressure, limited access to ODA and entrenching structural challenges in our economy, threatening long-term competitiveness.
The primary challenge is defining what projects and sectors qualify as green, sustainable, and inclusive. Internationally, a number of leading initiatives have paved the way, including the European Union Taxonomy on Sustainable Activities, the Climate Bonds Taxonomy, the International Capital Markets Association Green Project Mapping, and the Joint MDB (multilateral development banks) Methodology for Climate Finance Tracking. These offer a sound starting point for South Africa to develop its own Green Taxonomy that both supports policy development and asset level investment. Under the leadership of National Treasury, and with support from IFC (part of the World Bank Group), the National Business Initiative (NBI) and the Carbon Trust are working to develop such a taxonomy, building on complementary initiatives and expertise in the South African market.
Join expert speakers from National Treasury, IFC/World Bank, the Climate Bonds Initiative and local financial sector practitioners, to discuss the opportunities and priorities for a green stimulus response to COVID-19, and help inform the development of a South African Green Finance Taxonomy.
RSVP here.

Online Event: Core indicators for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
2020-07-03 15:00 - 16:00
Leading companies around the world have taken steps to prioritise the SDGs and incorporate them into their core businesses. The PWC SDGs Challenge 2019 shows that 77% of responding South African companies mention the SDGs in their reporting in one form or another. The challenge is that while there are guidelines on how companies should report on the SDGs, each company tends to develop their own approach based on the data they have available.
South Africa, along with other UN member states, is encouraged to regularly submit their Voluntary National Review on the country’s progress and contribution towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Unfortunately, the lack of SDG reporting standardisation in the private sector poses a significant challenge to any organisation’s attempts at compiling and disclosing company data to report in a consistent and comparable manner – until now.
To address this challenge, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has developed SDG indicators that were identified based on key reporting principles, selection criteria, main reporting frameworks and company reporting practices around the world. These core indicators are intended as a common benchmark for sustainability and SDG reporting by enterprises, and therefore, represent the minimum disclosures that companies could do to be able to provide comparable baseline data on their contribution to the implementation of the SDGs.
The objective of this guidance is to provide practical information on how these indicators could be measured in a consistent manner and in alignment with countries’ needs on monitoring the attainment of the SDG agenda.
It is intended to serve as a tool to assist governments to assess private sector contribution to SDG implementation and to assist entities to provide baseline data on sustainability issues.
You are most welcome to join the NBI and the UNCTAD webinar if you are interested to learn more about the core indicators proposed by this guidance document and discover insights into how they align with what South African companies already report on. In addition, we will cover how standardised data from the private sector can benefit national level reporting of the private sector contribution towards the implementation of the SDGs.
RSVP here.
