Investment in Ecological Infrastructure

Ecological infrastructure can be defined as the natural ecosystems that deliver valuable services to people. It can be regarded as the nature-based equivalent of built or hard infrastructure which provides important services to society, supporting economic and social development of the country.

It is therefore paramount to ensure that our ecological infrastructure is maintained and protected adequately to sustain our development path.

This event is aimed at:

• Introducing the concept/approach of “Investment in Ecological Infrastructure”;
• facilitating a discussion on the need for effective investment in ecological infrastructure and the role of business in this context;
• facilitating a discussion on the risks and opportunities to consider in order to enable successful investment in ecological infrastructure; and
• understanding what is currently being developed and done by business.

Effective investment in ecological infrastructure can only be achieved through a collective and collaborative strategy . This event aims to facilitate the engagement of business in such a discussion.

This event will involve a presentation by Tracey Cumming from the South African National Biodiversity Institute on the concept/approach of “Investment in Ecological Infrastructure”. We will then have a fascinating panel discussion including representatives from:

• Investec
• Old Mutual Investment Group (Pty) Limited (Mr. Jon Duncan, Head of Sustainability Research and Engagement),
• Department of Environmental Affairs (Mr Peter Lukey, Chief Policy Advisor: Strategic Environmental Intelligence)
• Mr. Anton Cartwright

Finally we will engage the audience to get their view and recommendations on the way to enable successful investment in ecological infrastructure in South Africa. We hope that you will be able to join us for a fascinating and engaging event, as we believe that your inputs will be very valuable.

Location: Ground Floor Auditorium, Mutual Park, Jan Smuts Avenue, Pinelands.

Please RSVP by 2 February 2014 by sending a confirmation email to mariep@ewt.org.za.