In the lead up to SAIBA’s Accountant’s Climate and Sustainability Summit, we spoke to Professor Nico Schutte who heads up corporate education at Regenesys Business School about how they’re preparing those who will have to face a warmer, more challenging world.
What unique challenges does South Africa face when training people for the global transition to a greener economy?
Firstly, it should be said that Africa has always understood its connectedness with nature far better than our European counterparts, leading to eco-tourism being so big in Africa.
Our challenges include our dependency on fossil fuels, especially for electricity and transport. Furthermore, low economic growth, unemployment, and political volatility are far higher up on the priority list than a greener economy. We also understand that “green skills” provide an opportunity to build resilience and ultimately enter the path to more sustainable development.
The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) set out in the 2030 Agenda highlight the importance of skills development, decent work and climate action, and address issues of poverty and inequality by providing international targets to inform national policy and actions.
How much does climate change and its effect on business impact your thinking at Regenesys?
Caring for people and the planet has always been imprinted in the ethos of our institution. The purpose of Regenesys is to help individuals and organisations achieve their dreams by awakening their potential. We believe that every human being has a unique talent and an inner power to achieve their dreams and change the world, whether it’s solving issues like climate change or other world challenges. As such, we have a holistic worldview underpinned by our unique value proposition of multiple intelligences: intellectual intelligence (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), spiritual intelligence (SQ), physical intelligence (PQ), financial intelligence (FQ), and network intelligence (NQ).
What work are you doing at Regenesys to adapt your training for the increased focus on climate change and transitioning to a greener economy?
All our study materials are grounded in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the UN. Profit, People, and Planet are pervasive in all our programmes. We assist our students in debating and developing plans for change to support their organisations in implementing, governing, and managing the shift required for ongoing sustainability integration.