Dr. Rethabile Melamu: ESG is central to what we do

Dr. Rethabile Melamu

Chief Executive Officer, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA)

Q.

Can you identify when you realised you wanted to pursue a career in sustainability, and how has your career progressed?

I have been in the sustainability space for around 15 years, and my interest first started whilst studying Chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where I was exposed to the issue of sustainability in my final year. This led to me furthering my studies by completing a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, including studying biofuels, hydrogen, the concept of life-cycle assessments and the impact of renewable energy technologies on the environment. What really interested me was the fact that it involved human interaction in a more holistic way, with economic development and environmental protection at its centre. It’s at this point that I realised that I’d like to pursue a career in this space in order to make a meaningful contribution to Africa’s economic development agenda. At the end of my master’s degree, I was offered a research role at the university and did that for about 5 years where I also started writing up my research into a PhD thesis, which focused on understanding how emerging technologies develop, how they thrive, and what kind of legislative frameworks and policies are required to support them. It was a very practical thesis for understanding how we can address issues such as energy security, and how waste could be managed more sustainably and still create job opportunities. I then moved away from academia and worked for GreenCape, where my role was to support the establishment of the biofuels industry in the Western Cape. I was then approached for a government role working on policy development, subsequently joining The Innovation Hub Management Company, running an incubation programme, the Climate Innovation Centre South Africa (CICSA) in the green economy. From there I moved to my current role with SAPVIA.

"The mindset of leaders has to change. They need to be mindful of protecting the environment in order to be around for the long haul, especially as some businesses are dependent upon the environment to thrive."

– Dr. Rethabile Melamu, Chief Executive Officer, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA)

Q.

In a world that is shifting rapidly towards sustainable practices, we often talk about the significance of changing mindsets and company culture. You are at the heart of this space, and so what advice would you give in relation to successful leadership?

We are at a stage whereby we must recognise that focusing on the bottom line is not sufficient. We need to make sure that the environment within which the business is operating also thrives, both from a social and environmental perspective. Leaders must cast a very ambitious vision and convince their employees and shareholders that it’s the right path to take. Ultimately the mindset of leaders has to change. They need to be mindful of protecting the environment in order to be around for the long haul, especially as some businesses are dependent upon the environment to thrive. Good leadership is enabling those that are being led to find their voice and to express it. But first, as a leader, you need to find your own voice, own goals and vision and then create an environment whereby others do the same, aligned to the goals of the business. In my view, the key is to make sure that you inspire others to do more than they think they can.

Q.

In what capacity do you see technology and innovation creating more sustainable business practices?

Whether innovation leads to technological changes or is more process centred, ultimately the overall goal is the same, and that is to enhance the efficiency of business and the delivery of services. This is essential to place businesses ahead of their own competitors. Sometimes we think about innovation as just inventions, but actually it can be about finding new ways of doing things from what already exists. You need to have visionary leadership that is people centred and promotes technology and innovation. It can be very easy to externalise sustainability and actually forget to talk about the people. It’s important to recognise that we have a different crop of employees in the 21st century, so we need to create an environment that allows for creativity and innovation that will support the environmental goals that businesses have. This in turn will lead to a more successful business.

"You need to have visionary leadership that is people centred and promotes technology and innovation. It can be very easy to externalise sustainability and actually forget to talk about the people."

– Dr. Rethabile Melamu, Chief Executive Officer, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA)

Q.

As an industry, you are right at the centre of addressing climate change. How would you describe the impact of safety and operational risk management in helping to create a sustainable business? Can you give any examples?

In our sector, safety is an extremely important factor. It’s bad PR if there are safety incidents and for instance, it’s important that solar panel installers adhere to the best safety practices, because if not the whole industry loses credibility. Equally, part of operational risk is anticipating potential hazardous environments, businesses need to be mindful of operational risks that are embedded in their business because if not, they will lose out to the competition and cause more harm to the environment than they need to. I am often asked whether our company adheres to ESG, and my response is always that ESG is central to what we do. Even though we are in the renewable energy industry, we still need to be mindful of the environmental impacts that the sector has. We need to be thinking about the end of the life management of our products, the impact they will have during their life and how we can manage the potentially negative consequences. We can’t be naive and think it doesn’t have environmental impacts, but we can plan for the future and mitigate the risks.

Q.

What would you say are the current challenges on moving to a low carbon and more sustainable future?

Before we look at the challenges, we should acknowledge that we have made huge progress globally. Certainly, here in South Africa the government has introduced regulatory reforms that are supportive towards a transition to a low carbon economy. However, there is still a long way to go. There are fantastic renewable energy resources in our country and continent, the roll-out of renewable energy technologies is moving so fast which can lead to some resistance, especially from those with a vested interest in the status quo. Sometimes, it can be hard to inform communities with the correct messaging because this can swayed by whoever influences the media space, so it’s an interface between those that hold the information and those who have vested interest.

Q.

As a leader in sustainability, what are your top three key drivers for your industry?

A conducive regulatory environment is essential. Governments need to have clearly articulated policies, effective regulations frameworks that are not just on paper, but that are supported by action plans on how the transition will take place. Another driver is appropriate communication that influences end users, individuals, and corporates on the benefits of sustainable solution which needs to be heard and magnified. And thirdly, leadership both in government and the individual business space needs to be progressive and bold enough to understand that they may not be in a position long enough to see through their vision. This long-term vision must balance financial results and rewards with the environment and social needs of communities in which they operate.

"Even though we are in the renewable energy industry, we still need to be mindful of the environmental impacts that the sector has."

– Dr. Rethabile Melamu, Chief Executive Officer, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA)