Climate change and its impact are being felt globally. As a result of this, like many other countries across the world, South Africa has seen an increase in interest surrounding green buildings and sustainability initiatives. Not only is going green now seen as being responsible and responsive, but more and more customers and stockholders are now taking a keen interest in how the actions of corporations might influence the environment around them. This has had the effect of putting pressure on organizations to be aware of what their environmental footprint is, and how they can reduce it.

South Africa is a developing, rapidly moving economy. While it has faced some bumpy years in the recent past, it is still one of the biggest economies on the African continent, and has, historically, been an African powerhouse. As it matures and develops further, South Africa will need to use more of its resources, thus causing increasing strain on them. Necessarily, there is a heightened awareness in ensuring that natural resources are used in a responsible and sustainable manner as well as managing emissions and pollution generated.