In dialogues with leading sustainability experts worldwide, a consensus
emerges regarding four significant shifts in global trends over the past
two and a half decades. Initially, the focus was on encouraging
organizations to embark on the sustainability journey.
The second shift involved urging them to document and report their
progress. The third shift revolved around initiatives concerning
recycling waste, renewable energy, and climate change. We are now on the
brink of a new trend, one that seeks to enhance the depth of the second
wave.
Peter Bakker, president of the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD), suggests that businesses primarily concentrate on
disclosing under the CSRD. However, he expresses concern regarding an
excessive emphasis on compliance with the directive. Bakker asserts that
businesses must not report merely for the sake of it but utilize
reporting to facilitate better decision-making and drive actual change.
Mark Lee, partner and director at ERM, a sustainability consultancy,
echoes Bakker's sentiments and stresses the need for greater focus on
accountability and transformation rather than mere reporting. Lee
observes, "We’ve become proficient at broadcasting our actions, but
without significant change—emissions continue to rise, deforestation
persists." He further predicts a shift in pressure on businesses from
data provision to actual delivery.
Annually in Africa, The SERAS platform encourages organizations across
the continent to advance their sustainability frameworks to ensure
resilience. Recognizing that no path is flawless and no
one-size-fits-all solution exists, as curators of Africa’s largest
sustainability awards, we ask ourselves: Is sustainable development
achievable? Can we delve deeper into the SDGs and strive to have at
least 75% of African countries score a minimum of 60% in meeting the set
targets?
In a world marked by confusion, distraction, and myriad challenges such
as climate change, biodiversity loss, urban vulnerabilities, food
insecurities, mass displacement, dwindling middle-class populations, and
high youth unemployment amidst political instability, the attainment of
sustainable development occasionally appears elusive. Nevertheless,
Africa has made consistent strides, with countries like Ghana, Kenya,
Nigeria, South Africa, Angola, Morocco, Egypt, Rwanda, Botswana,
Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritius, and many others demonstrating
progress. The goal for 2024 is to raise the bar so that by the end of
2023, Africa's performance will not mirror the dismal outcomes seen at
the conclusion of the Millennium Development Goals era, which preceded
the Sustainable Development Goals and concluded in 2015.
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