“There is a way to do it better – find it,” is a famous quote by Thomas Edison, a quintessential inventor also known as a brilliant entrepreneur.

Productivity must not only be defined, it must be measured. “What you cannot measure, you cannot manage.” The worldwide economic crisis, diminishing natural resources, varying climate and high unemployment provide key signals to reshape economic growth in an integrated system’s approach to sustainability.

The 2010 Summit Report said our country views a green economy as a sustainable development path, centred on addressing the interdependence between economic growth,
social protection and natural ecosystems.

This view is in line with our country’s vision on sustainable development, which says: “South Africa aspires to be a. sustainable, economically prosperous and self-reliant
nation state that safeguards its democracy by meeting the fundamental human needs of its people, by managing its limited ecological resources responsibly for current and future
generations and by advancing efficient and effective integrated planning and govern ance through national, regional and global collaboration.”

By definition, the green economy in a South African context can be considered as a “system of economic activities related to the production, distribution and consumption
of goods and services that result in improved human well-being over the long term, while not exposing future generations to signify cant environmental risks or ecological scarcities”. This suggests the split of resource use and environmental impacts from economic growth.

Entrepreneurship in the green economy is identified as a key strategy in South Africa’s sustainable development path. In this case, entrepreneurship relates to any activities
that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality.

Entrepreneurial activities that focus on ecological outcomes playing an imperative role that speak to both social and economic challenges associated with climate change is also known as green entrepreneurship. By its very nature, green entrepreneurial activities don’t follow the traditional business models that mostly focus on profitability and growth but tend to focus on emerging business principles that promote innovative forms of ownership, supply and delivery of goods or services.

The International Labour Organisation expressed five characteristics for green entrepreneurs

1. Have sustainable businesses.
2. Provide green products and services.
3. Have an innovation drive.
4. Opening of new markets.
5. Provide opportunities for youth and gender.

By implementing an integrated approach across sectors, the South African green economy modelling process studied the theory that a. correct management of natural resources does not necessarily suggest accepting lower economic growth going forward. It instead looked at the question of whether equal or higher growth could be achieved with a more sustainable, equitable and stronger economy, in which natural resources would be well preserved through more efficient use.

By way of contrast, the green economy approach supports both growth and low carbon change by reducing emissions and conserving stocks in the short term to profit from their improved state in the future. The impact on the green economy will be seen from an environmental, social and economic spheres.

The two allied developmental outcomes for the South African economy are growing economic activity in the green industry see tor through entrepreneurship and innovation and a shift in the economy as a whole towards cleaner industries and sectors.

So as Thomas Edison said: “There is a way to do it better”- now, let’s find it.

Bongani Coka is the CEO of Productivity SA.