The Greening the Future Awards are based on the very successful model of the Mail & Guardian‘s Investing in the Future Awards, which have been running for 15 years.
Whereas Greening the Future focuses on environmental best practice and investment in sustainable development, Investing in the Future concentrates on corporate social investment and socio-economic development.
Both these competitions aim to honour companies, individuals and organisations that are investing in the future of the planet. They are designed to heighten public awareness of the ‘triple bottom line†— corporate social and environmental investment.
More than 200 entrants have participated in the Investing in the Future awards over the years. Entrants include empowerment projects that focus on skills development, entrepreneurship, food security and arts and culture. The range of entries is a testament to the fact that the private and NGO sectors subscribe to the thesis that the government, alone, cannot provide a wide variety of amenities and services to the poor majority without some supplementary support.
Corporate social investment in South Africa goes back a number of decades and millions of rands have been invested to this end. However, much of this investment has gone unnoticed by anybody other than the immediate beneficiaries.
This year’s awards will be handed out at a banquet on October 31. The awards are granted in two categories: one for private companies, and the second for foundations and NGOs.
The Investing in the Future panel of judges features BusinessMap director Reg Rumney; Glenda White, executive director of programmes at the Centre for Public Services Innovation; Mokhethi Moshoeshoe, director of the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship; corporate marketing guru Ivan May; Iqbal Survé, chief executive of Sekunjalo Investments; Mzolizi ka Toni, secretary general of the Disabled People of South Africa; and the CEO of Community Chest in the Western Cape, Amelia Jones.