16/09/2026
Yesterday I attended the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Reporting and Sustainability Compliance for Industry webinar, hosted by Wits Business School and moderated by Yvette Lange MPhil Business Management (Responsible Leadership) CA(SA) CIA CCSA. The session featured outstanding contributions from Professor Frank Zhu (School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering), Julia Taylor (Researcher, Southern Centre for Inequality Studies) and Carolyn Chalmers (Chief Executive Officer, Good Governance Academy).
Professor Frank Zhu provided a clear, evidence‑based account of climate change; its drivers and the cascading impacts on infrastructure, industry and communities.He explained how these dynamics constrain the growth of the projects and systems we rely on.
Julia Taylor drew attention to the assets, knowledge and capacities already present in our systems that remain underused; she outlined the disadvantages of neglecting these resources and urged us to concentrate effort and investment on high‑impact priorities that will move us closer to our national objectives.
Carolyn Chalmers delivered a forthright analysis of leadership and governance gaps, explaining how unclear leadership, weak accountability and misaligned incentives have left us directionless; her remarks underscored the urgent need for stronger governance to guide sustainable development.
Each speaker offered thoughtful, actionable perspectives. I was grateful for the opportunity to express my appreciation and to add my own reflections on their points. The webinar reinforced my conviction that continued learning, cross‑sector collaboration and deliberate investment in sustainability are essential if we are to reach the levels of the countries we look up to. I am energised to apply these insights and to support initiatives that build capacity, accountability and long‑term resilience.
