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Second Sustainable Development Awards launched

Second Sustainable Development Awards launched

The Environmental Investment Fund in partnership with the Sustainable Development Advisory Committee and the Hanns Seidel Foundation’s Environmental Awareness and Climate Change Project launched the 2nd Namibian Sustainable Development Awards 2017 this week in Windhoek.

The aim of the Sustainable Development Awards is to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable development among the citizenry and recognise and reward the outstanding contribution of organizations and persons active in the field of sustainable development.

As a member of the Sustainable Development Advisory Committee, Dr Michael Humavindu, called on both private and public sectors to continue championing economic growth that is both environmentally and socially responsible.

Sustainable development is a cornerstone of our national planning document, which also highlights the broad focus of sustainable development in terms of how we manage our economy, society and environment so that the needs of our present generations are meet,” he said.

An additional category with a specific category on the youth and which includes specific awards for local start-ups and SMEs, which did not benefit from the first edition of the Sustainable Development Award was added.

This is primary so that we give special recognition of the importance of youth in spearheading the future development of the nation so as to encourage the adoption of sustainability practices among SMEs and upcoming businesses,” he added.

This year’s categories will include; Private Sector Champions for Sustainable Development with 3 sub-categories for start ups, Small and Medium Enterprises as well as established companies.

Pioneering journalism in the field of sustainable development will also reward outstanding performance in the areas of best print media, best social media, best radio and best radio and best television, and Youth Action for Sustainable Development, which focuses on youth leader ship and initiatives in the area of sustainable development.

Since the first edition of the Awards were held in 2015, there has been a considerable shift in the sustainable development landscape with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals at international level as well as the finalising and implementation of the Harambee Prosperity Plan and the Fifth National Developmental Plan.

This year, the organiser has brought on board the following sponsors; Nedbank, Namibia Media Holdings, the National Commission on Research, science and Technology, AgriBank and the Embassy of Finland.

Entry forms for the awards can be found on the partners’ websites and will close on 14 August and winners will be announced at a crowning event planned set for 21 September.

About The Author

Freeman Ya Ngulu

Freeman Ngulu is an investigtor, an author and a keen entrepreneur. His speciality is data journalism for which he loves to dig deep into topics often ignored by mainstream reporting. He tweets @hobameteorite.