According to a recent United Nation’s report, more than half of global population growth between now and 2050 is expected to occur in Africa.

“This projected growth may pose the greatest threat globally to climate change and other looming crises, as these future generations enter the economy needing food, water and energy, and generating waste,” says Gordon Brown, CEO of Alive2Green, organisers of Sustainability Week 2016, a City of Tshwane hosted initiative taking place at the CSIR Convention Centre in Tshwane from 31 May to 05 June 2016.

“Changing the developmental paradigm of Africans now towards a circular green economy could therefore be regarded as the single most important endeavour in the world today,” he explains.

“Significantly changing the social and environmental outlook of Africans also offers tremendous economic opportunities for innovators and early adopters, as the process of technological leapfrogging heralds in a true “Green Economy”.

“Our hope for Sustainability Week 2016 is to highlight the need to develop and accelerate the pipeline of sustainability-oriented projects and contribute to igniting a green revolution in Africa.” 

Stimulating sustainability dialogues

Sustainability Week, one of the largest gatherings on sustainability in Africa, has proven itself a significant forum for stimulating such international dialogue and action, and the 2016 edition will be no different.

This year’s Sustainability Week programme boasts 14 remarkable seminars and overflow sessions aimed at promoting collaborative thinking and development to accelerate the sustainable solutions needed to support rapid economic and population growth. These include:

• The 2nd annual African Capital Cities Sustainability Forum
• The 10th annual Green Building Conference,
• Sustainable Water Seminar
• Vision Zero Waste Seminar
• The Sustainable Energy Seminar
• The Green Business Seminar
• The Transport & Mobility Seminar
• The Food Security Seminar
• The Sustainability in Mining Seminar
• The Sustainable Manufacturing Seminar
• The Sustainable Infrastructure Seminar

Other must-see Sustainability Week sessions include Responsible Tourism Dialogue, a panel discussion for Youth and the Green Economy as well as the Green Home Fair exhibition scheduled to take place at Brooklyn Mall, which will showcase a myriad eco-products and service offerings for shoppers to explore in their search for reducing their impact on the environment.

Sustainability Week 2016 takes place at the CSIR Convention Centre from 31 May to 02 June 2016. Registration is now open. For full delegate information, schedules, sponsor and speaker information, or for sponsorship or booking enquiries, visit www.sustainabilityweek.co.za