By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – Is it time that African businesses go green? Seen as a Western trend and potentially costly, companies on the African continent have been slow to implement environmentally-friendly principles in the workplace but there are signs the trend is slowly changing.
Currently, Africa is outstripping world economies. With average growth projected to accelerate to close to 5 percent in 2014 and 5 percent to 6 percent in 2015, Africa is outperforming the global economy’s 3 percent growth, and yet the continent has been slow to rise to the green wave.
But there are signs that forward-thinking African businesses are beginning to realise that going green saves costs and boosts employee productivity, something that leading employers across the world appear to have already made up their minds on.
According to recent statistics gathered by the Top Employers Institute, which certifies excellence in working conditions throughout the African continent and internationally, 73 percent of Top Employers have environmental protection programmes or initiatives in place.
“As organisations begin to understand the benefits of green buildings and a growing body of research supports the connectivity between sustainability and the bottom line, we are seeing more and more corporations integrating green business practices into the way they run their businesses,” said Samantha Crous, Regional Director Africa and Benelux, of the Top Employers Institute.
Green buildings are energy and water efficient, emit less carbon dioxide and make good use of space and design, all of which have been shown by studies to be good for employee productivity, health and morale.
South Africa is leading the way for green buildings on the African continent, added Crous. For example, Unilever, a multinational consumer goods giant acknowledged for its sustainability efforts, with a presence in over 19 African countries and number one Top Employer in South Africa 2014, has various green initiatives under its Sustainable Living Programme. These include reducing office energy consumption, using office space more efficiently and cutting down on employee travel through agile working practices.
By using teleconferencing in 26 countries, Unilever eliminated the need for 14 500 short-haul flights and over 23 500 long-haul flights. This has meant a saving of 113 500 tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions during the year and an estimated saving of close to N$596 million.
Another Top Employer in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, EY, has a green building as its headquarters in Johannesburg. The office features innovative working space to promote productivity and inventive design to preserve energy.