scholarly journals South Africa’s largest public sector pension funds: a collective developmental role?

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 139-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Wildsmith
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Transition Management ◽  
Investment Policies ◽  
Developmental Role

As significant long-term domestic investors, South Africa‟s largest public sector pension funds have an interest in helping South Africa move onto a sustainable development path. However, this paper tentatively concludes that, although there is a possible collective developmental role for these funds, this is unlikely to occur unless leadership from government or the funds emerges. If a leadership role is chosen, government should probably focus on a transition management approach to sustainable development, trustees on the implementation of long-term investment policies, and the members of the investment community on a high leverage initiative, possibly linked to the Financial Sector Charter review. Some of the tentative conclusions reached in this paper also provide pointers for overseas pension funds and their stakeholders. Firstly, governments could support collective action between the largest public sector pension funds globally, and in return develop an unusually powerful long-term voice in support of a transition to sustainability. Secondly, a more significant role for these funds will highlight the issue of prioritisation, and the development of legitimate processes is likely to be needed. Thirdly, full implementation of genuinely long-term investment policies will probably lead to significant changes in the role funds play in the investment industry, possibly including the establishment of their own investment co-operatives.

scholarly journals The protection of environmental interests through corporate governance: A South African company law perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-20
Author(s):  
Anthony O. Nwafor
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
South African ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Company Law ◽  
The Common ◽  
Corporate Administrators ◽  
Environmental Interests

The quest to maximize profits by corporate administrators usually leaves behind an unhealthy environment. This trend impacts negatively on long term interests of the company and retards societal sustainable development. While there are in South Africa pieces of legislation which are geared at protecting the environment, the Companies Act which is the principal legislation that regulates the operations of the company is silent on this matter. The paper argues that the common law responsibility of the directors to protect the interests of the company as presently codified by the Companies Act should be developed by the courts in South Africa, in the exercise of their powers under the Constitution, to include the interests of the environment. This would guarantee the enforcement of the environmental interests within the confines of the Companies Act as an issue of corporate governance.

Quantification of ESG Regulations: A Cross-Country Benchmarking Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 097226292110541
Author(s):  
Monica Singhania ◽  
Neha Saini
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
Financial Disclosures ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Economic Choices

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria mean investment in economic choices which, without interference with the environment, are intended to promote long-term economic and social well-being. Due to high environmental and social awareness, customers expect companies to devote time and efforts to such sustainable practices. This attitude has led to an overall rise in ESG disclosures and reporting instruments globally with a focus on influence of ESG disclosures on financial performance of companies. Many European countries have already introduced mandatory disclosure of non-financial information. This transition from voluntary to mandatory motivated other countries to adopt mandatory ESG disclosure practices for sustainable development. The practice of reporting non-financial disclosures has been rising due to several reasons, such as increasing visibility, informing customers, avoiding the risk associated with firm performance and achieving sustainability. Countries in the early stages of ESG disclosure need to understand the benchmark practices used by countries with a well-developed ESG system. For preparing the ESG disclosure index and benchmarking based on disclosure score, this study considers a set of developed and developing countries with their ESG disclosures. On the basis of ESG disclosures, the countries have been classified into four different categories. We found Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Belgium and France, to have high ESG scores and have been classified as Countries with Well-Developed ESG Framework. Germany, Italy, USA, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Brazil and South Africa have medium to high ESG scores and fall under the category Rapidly improving ESG framework. While Singapore, India, China, Philippines, Malaysia and Argentina are categorized as countries with ESG framework at developing stage, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Nigeria and Vietnam are classified as Countries with early-stage framework due to low ESG scores.

Scientific basis for managing the transition to sustainability in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 43-50
Author(s):  
GULMIRA TOLGANBAEVA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Transition Management ◽  
Management Styles ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Problem Structuring ◽  
Term Change ◽  
The Social

The article analyzes the scientific approaches of Dutch scientists to the problems of managing the transition to sustainable development. Based on the analysis of research in the Netherlands, the author concludes on the methodological dominance of the coevolutionary concept and the theory of complex systems. The transition to sustainable development is seen as coevolutionary social change. Coevolution of sustainable development implies the possibility of transforming the processes of coevolution into a more sustainable way of development. The essence of managing the transition to sustainable development is goal-oriented modulation and directed coordination of all actors involved in this process. Transition management is viewed as a particular form of multilevel governance in which state and non-state actors work together to co-produce and coordinate policies in an iterative and coevolutionary way at different levels. The necessary qualities of such management are adaptability, reflexivity, and coherence of actors’ positions. Adaptive transition management involves the social learning of management actors based on problem structuring and strategic experimentation. Transition management combines elements of long-term planning, elements of incremental market approach, and social network interaction management techniques. Distinctive characteristics of such management are heterarchy, three-tiered structure, and distributed administration. Since transition management is aimed at long-term change of functional systems in a gradual way, with the use of variations and their selection, its implementation is possible in a society whose interests are well organized, and there is no authoritarian management. The considered scientific foundations for managing the transition to sustainable development are used in the Netherlands to manage the transition to sustainable energy, sustainable mobility, sustainable agriculture, sustainable water use, and the transition to biodiversity and natural resources. In Russia and Kazakhstan, it is possible to use this approach to select, organize and structure management styles and tools for managing the transition to sustainable development.

scholarly journals The paediatrician workforce and its role in addressing neonatal, child and adolescent healthcare in Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 105 (10) ◽  
pp. 927-931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike English ◽  
Brigid Strachan ◽  
Fabian Esamai ◽  
Thomas Ngwiri ◽  
Osman Warfa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
The Public ◽  
Local Expert

ObjectiveTo examine the availability of paediatricians in Kenya and plans for their development.DesignReview of policies and data from multiple sources combined with local expert insight.SettingKenya with a focus on the public, non-tertiary care sector as an example of a low-income and middle-income country aiming to improve the survival and long-term health of newborns, children and adolescents.ResultsThere are 305 practising paediatricians, 1.33 per 100 000 individuals of the population aged <19 years which in total numbers approximately 25 million. Only 94 are in public sector, non-tertiary county hospitals. There is either no paediatrician at all or only one paediatrician in 21/47 Kenyan counties that are home to over a quarter of a million under 19 years of age. Government policy is to achieve employment of 1416 paediatricians in the public sector by 2030, however this remains aspirational as there is no comprehensive training or financing plan to reach this target and health workforce recruitment, financing and management is now devolved to 47 counties. The vast majority of paediatric care is therefore provided by non-specialist healthcare workers.DiscussionThe scale of the paediatric workforce challenge seriously undermines the ability of the Kenyan health system to deliver on the emerging survive, thrive and transform agenda that encompasses more complex health needs. Addressing this challenge may require innovative workforce solutions such as task-sharing, these may in turn require the role of paediatricians to be redefined. Professional paediatric communities in countries like Kenya could play a leadership role in developing such solutions.

scholarly journals Employment creation through public works programmes and projects in South Africa: Experiences and potentials

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. Thwala
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Public Works ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Employment Creation ◽  
Investment Policies ◽  
Local Labour ◽  
Skills Shortages

Purpose/objectives: The aim of this article is to look at the experiences, problems and the potential contribution of employment creation programmes in alleviating the unemployment problem in other African countries through the construction of public infrastructure through the use of labour-intensive methods. The article then describes the problems and experiences that have been encountered in South Africa in relation to employment creation through the construction of public infrastructure.Problem investigated: In South Africa the levels of unemployment and poverty are extremely high and unemployment is one of South Africa's most pressing problems. At the same time there is a lack of capacity and skills at institutional, community and individual levels. Labour-intensive programmes generate more direct and indirect local employment opportunities and income by using locally available inputs (materials, simple tools and local labour) and thus creating a greater demand for local products and services than do high-technology programmes reliant on imported technology and equipment. Design/Methodology/Approach: Drawing on research on labour-intensive, public works programmes and projects, the paper is mainly a literature review. From a theoretical perspective supported by experience elsewhere in Africa, there are reasons for considering that properly formulated employment creation programmes based on the use of labour-intensive methods could be established to construct and maintain the required physical infrastructure, thus creating employment, skills and institutional capacities. The article closes with some recommendations for the future programmes success.Findings/Implications: The article attributes the failure of projects and programmes in South Africa to different factors which must be avoided in future in order for projects and programmes to be successful in South Africa. Investment in infrastructure has a huge potential to redress the high unemployment and poverty levels in South Africa and also to correct the skill shortages. Originality/Value: This article challenges the project-based approach and recommends a programme-based approach which is long-term as to address the problem of unemployment and skills shortages in South Africa. Conclusion: Public works programmes and projects in South Africa should change as the policy environment changes, from relief, emergency to a long-term structured employment-generation programme. The approach should link economic growth, employment and investment policies.

Zimbabwean government clampdown could escalate

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Pension Funds ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Security Forces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Potential Increase ◽  
To Come

Significance This was the second major protest banned by the authorities in recent days, amid deepening public dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the economy. As fears grow among the ruling ZANU-PF government of a popular uprising, the security forces are intensifying a clampdown on opposition and civil society figures. Impacts Recent violence will probably delay, but not necessarily scupper plans for a new IMF funding package over the medium-to-long term. A potential increase in public-sector wages has unnerved the IMF amid fears over renewed fiscal slippages. A recent scandal over the looting of pension funds by officials has undermined already fragile confidence in government. The current public services crisis will likely worsen over the short term, as strikes by workers increase. Opposition calls for a transitional government are likely to come to naught over the short term amid entrenched ZANU-PF resistance.

scholarly journals The Importance of the Public Sector in Sustainable Development in Poland

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Alińska ◽  
Beata Zofia Filipiak ◽  
Aneta Kosztowniak
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Financial Sector ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

The striving for sustainable development has become the goal of actions undertaken not only by representatives of public authorities and institutions representing this sector, but also representatives of private entities who are increasingly recognizing the benefits and sources of long-term development based on the principles and objectives of sustainable development. These are mainly based on the pursuit of synergy in the three basic areas of activities, i.e., in the economic, social, and environmental dimensions as well as in the maintenance of natural resources. The implementation of these activities is connected with the necessity of incurring financial expenditures, which the government (public sector) does not have in the required value. Therefore, in the process of sustainable development for which the government is responsible, the active participation of the financial sector (banks) is necessary. Achieving results within the alliance of the concept of sustainable development requires the setting of a kind of contract, the parties of which are the government, society, and financial institutions. The purpose of the conducted research is to indicate by which means the government can stimulate economic growth towards its sustainable development.&nbsp;

Adoption and Implementation of Digital Preservation Strategies by Academic Libraries in South Africa

Mousaion ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tlou Maggie Masenya ◽  
Patrick Ngulube
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Digital Preservation ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Adoption And Implementation

The growing number of digital devices has led to the creation of many digital resources within academic libraries. Without proper protection, there is a risk that these digital resources can neither be retrieved from old storage media nor be rendered from old file formats. As a result, academic libraries have recognised a need for long-term preservation of their fast growing number of digital resources. However, preserving digital content over a long period has been difficult because both technology and relevant organisational context change over time. This underscores the need to examine the adoption of digital preservation strategies in academic libraries in South Africa. A quantitative research approach was used, underpinned by a survey research design. The findings revealed that migration, bit preservation, replication and a risk management approach were the most widely used preservation strategies within academic libraries in South Africa. The study observed that there are only a few digital preservation studies that have been devoted to developing strategies to ensure long-term accessibility of digital resources in academic libraries in South Africa. This raises a concern and the researchers are of the opinion that academic libraries can overcome digital preservation problems if proper strategies are put in place. The study proposes a digital preservation strategy for academic libraries that is mapped with international preservation standards and certification tools.

scholarly journals The Importance of the Public Sector in Sustainable Development in Poland

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Alińska ◽  
Beata Filipiak ◽  
Aneta Kosztowniak
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Financial Sector ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

The striving for sustainable development has become the goal of actions undertaken not only by representatives of public authorities and institutions representing this sector, but also representatives of private entities who are increasingly recognizing the benefits and sources of long-term development based on the principles and objectives of sustainable development. These are mainly based on the pursuit of synergy in the three basic areas of activities, i.e., in the economic, social, and environmental dimensions as well as in the maintenance of natural resources. The implementation of these activities is connected with the necessity of incurring financial expenditures, which the government (public sector) does not have in the required value. Therefore, in the process of sustainable development for which the government is responsible, the active participation of the financial sector (banks) is necessary. Achieving results within the alliance of the concept of sustainable development requires the setting of a kind of contract, the parties of which are the government, society, and financial institutions. The purpose of the conducted research is to indicate by which means the government can stimulate economic growth towards its sustainable development.

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