The event included an address from the minister of environment, Forestry and Fisheries Barbara Creecy, who highlighted the economic and financial impact that CoOVID-19 has had on climate change, as well as South Africa's conservation and tourism-based industries.

The minister emphasised the need to focus on a nature-positive future as part of South Africa's overall economic recovery, calling for investment in green and sustainable solutions.

"South Africa's conservation landscapes and ecological infrastructure play an important part in the development of an inclusive and climate-resilient economy. Without the necessary and relevant financial backing, this sector faces a major setback that could lead to thousands of job losses as conservation-based tourism industries, the wildlife industry and related economic sectors feel the effects of the lockdown," says Creecy.

"All our efforts post COVID-19 must ensure that the present situation does not further escalate and result in greater environmental harm," Creecy says.

The minister says that embracing a nature-positive future as part of South Africa's overall economic recovery would have a positive impact on job creation in new industries, offering the potential for the creation of new enterprises by using new technologies.

Creecey adds that investment in green and sustainable solutions offers opportunities to promote long-term economic competitiveness and climate resilience.

Recognition of South Africa's most sustainable solutions

Initially set to take place on Friday, 5 June on World Environment Day, the Eco-Logic Awards was delayed due to the pandemic.

"Despite the restrictions we were faced with, we did not want to put off celebrating the good work of our South African eco-champions. Live streaming the event seemed like the perfect alternative and meant we were able to open it up to reach more than our 300 invited guests, to include members of the public," says David Parry-Davies, director of Enviropaedia and the Eco-Logic Awards. 

"We even had international guests plugging in from London, Paris, New York, Australia and New Zealand," adds Parry-Davies.

Finalists in each of the 12 categories were selected from across the country in August. The entries were assessed by a panel of judges made up of influential environmental voices.

The awards included eco-initiatives such as:
  • smart driving programmes to reduce carbon footprint
  • sanitation systems for rural schools that operate off the grid and use no water
  • biodiversity tax and conservation funding initiatives
  • innovative recycling and waste management organisations and
  • products such as a reverse vending machine that rewards shoppers with cash for their plastic waste, small and large-scale community clean-ups, micro-farming, food security education and youth conservation programmes.


For more information, or to view the full list of winners, visit www.eco-logicawards.com. You can also follow the Eco-Logic Awards on Facebook or on Twitter.