Prof Linda Godfrey, Manager of
Circular Innovation South Africa
(CISA).
Prof Linda Godfrey’s quest for a circular South Africa
As sustainability continues to become a global priority, Prof Linda Godfrey is a pioneering force in circular economy innovation, reshaping how South Africa (SA) views its resources and waste. “Approximately 50% of climate impacts, 90% of biodiversity loss and 90% of water stress come from the extraction and processing of resources,” she explains. “If we are to address the big planetary crisis facing us, we must rethink our relationship with resources.”
Godfrey is the Manager of Circular Innovation South Africa (CISA), an initiative of the Department of Science and Innovation, managed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. Through CISA, Godfrey implements the government’s science, technology and innovation aspirations in the circular economy and leads the charge in transforming the country’s approach to resource use.
She’s guided by two decades of experience in the waste sector. “I’ve seen firsthand how as a society we consume and dispose, and just how much of our waste ends up in landfills or dumpsites,” she reflects. Witnessing this linear process of extraction, production, consumption and disposal sparked her passion for change.
She says SA has the unique opportunity to leapfrog the resource-intensive growth paths of the Global North “to understand the opportunities and constraints provided by our limited resources, and create a more sustainable and regenerative trajectory that provides improved quality of life for all”.
The country already has many examples of circular practices in place: “Perhaps not yet at the scale for meaningful impact, but they’re there. We’ve been doing ‘circular’ for decades, we just never called it that.”
Recent developments in this field fill her with excitement and hope. “We’re seeing circular businesses and business models emerge that we would never have dreamt of a decade ago. New policy instruments and innovative new technologies support the efficient and sufficient use of resources, and are decoupling development from resource consumption.”
Godfrey wears multiple hats — manager, researcher and teacher — and remains committed to a sustainable future: “Professional success is about making a positive difference, a continuous cycle of learning, sharing and building, impacting how SA manages its resources, including waste. I have this wonderful opportunity to support the next generation of scientists and engineers who are equally passionate about changing the world for the better.”
Winning the NSTF-South32 Green Economy Award holds special meaning: “Recognition from peers suggests the work we do has an impact, and also acknowledges the long hours and sacrifices that one makes to build a lasting career in the sciences.”