Southern Africa is at a critical point in its environmental history. The region is faced with a massive development backlog, an urgent need for job creation, and a natural resource base that is increasingly threatened by economic development activities. Achieving environmental sustainability represents a major challenge, and one that the EEU is well placed to contribute to achieving as one of the longest standing environmental consultancies and research institutions in southern Africa. Our involvement in environmental planning, management and assessment involves consulting and research, which ranges from policy and strategic review through to project-level assessments. We also design and implement environmental training and capacity-building courses for government authorities, professionals, academics, students, NGOs and communities.

South Africa’s 3000km coastline contains an incredible diversity of ecosystems and landscapes. These coastal waters and lands provide a vast array of goods and services to many different user groups including coastal communities, many of whom derive a livelihood from the coast and its resources. Over the past 20 years the EEU has been engaged in research, consulting and professional short course training in the field of integrated coastal and small scale fisheries management. Members of the EEU have served on various international and national committees and task groups to advise on the future management of coastal and fisheries resources. In particular, the EEU plays a leading role in South Africa in research and training on co-management approaches to coastal and small-scale fisheries resources. Our interest is in promoting and facilitating the implementation of an holistic, integrated and participatory approach to the management of coastal and fisheries resources.

The past decade has witnessed a surge of interest in the commercial use and trade of biodiversity, on a scale unprecedented in history, and linking markets in virtually every corner of the globe. The EEU has developed specialist expertise on this topic, ranging from in-depth research on issues relating to access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing, fair trade in natural products, and non-timber forest product value chains, through to the complexities of protecting traditional knowledge and the impacts of intellectual property rights on livelihoods. Research, consulting and training is delivered to a wide range of government, non-government, community and international bodies, and is informed by an ethos of ensuring that projects relate directly to the attainment of social justice, appropriate economic development and ecological sustainability.

There is increasing emphasis on both the opportunities and challenges faced by business - ranging from small companies to multinational corporations - in a transition to sustainability. The hope is that important contributions can be made by incorporating sustainability within business strategies; engaging with stakeholders; identifying and managing "triple-bottom line" impacts; and creating innovative business solutions to broader social and environmental challenges. These debates go beyond business policies and practices to include the crucial role of investors, market institutions, government policies and laws, and multi-stakeholder partnerships. We seek to support initiatives within companies and broader business systems, going beyond public relations exercises and conflict to achieve strategic, innovative and meaningful shifts towards sustainability.

Enter section

Public participation is increasingly recognised as an integral and vital component of environmental sustainability and successful environmental management. More than twenty years of engagement with public participation policy and practice have led the EEU to become a centre of expertise on this topic, both with regard to developing the practical tools for participatory approaches towards environmental management, and creating the intellectual capacity for improved understanding about civil society engagement in environmental issues.