Co-creating an engineered impact. Achieving a balance between economic goals, social development objectives, and environmental sustainability is a challenge that Zutari has always risen to.
At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, people from all over the world came together to prioritise a more sustainable approach to development. Zutari has since been expanding our sustainability advisory services to clients in a wide range of industries and geographies. In 2020, we were ranked 30 out of 53 on Fortune magazine’s Change the World list – a testimony of our continued success in helping clients move from good intentions to engineered impact. Although Africa accounts for only 2 to 3% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions generated by energy and industrial sources, it is the most vulnerable continent to the impact of climate change. Africa is already experiencing temperature increases of about 0.7°C. With temperatures predicted to rise further, climate change may contribute to decreased food production, floods and the inundation of coastal zones and deltas, the spread of waterborne diseases and the risk of getting malaria, and changes in natural ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. Zutari, as a member of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We believe that sustainability must focus on meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the future generations’ ability to thrive. We contribute to the City of Johannesburg Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), assisting various African countries in developing national climate change scenarios and risk assessments. We developed the Zutari Asset-to-Asset (ZA2AA) approach to sustainable asset transformation. This approach is a structured methodology to ensure the original asset owner’s financial sustainability, socio-economic sustainability for surrounding communities, and environmental resilience. As part of The Impact Catalyst, we work with Anglo American, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Exxaro, and World Vision South Africa, to create mechanisms that drive large-scale, socio-economic development (SED) initiatives through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
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These initiatives are designed to leverage collaboration across all sectors and scale impacts beyond those of individual participants. The Impact Catalyst has proven that true sustainability requires radical collaboration. Our water-resource specialists offer a complete range of advisory, strategy, planning, analysis, engineering, design and scientific services, complemented by our offering in related disciplines, such as watersensitive design, flooding and drainage, bulk water storage and conveyance, hydropower, and water treatment. We recently assisted the University of Cape Town (UCT) in developing a sustainable water management strategy as part of the university’s journey to become a net-zero water campus by 2050. Zutari helps asset owners to design with long-term sustainability in mind and a better return on investment. In this regard, our environmentally sustainable design (ESD) team is proud to have worked on some of the most sustainable corporate buildings in South Africa, namely the Discovery Place in Sandton and Exxaro’s head office in Centurion. Having been ranked as the number one Design Firm in Africa in the Top 225 International Design Firm Rankings for Africa demonstrates the true value and engineering excellence we bring to the table. Over the past 90 years, Zutari has established a relationship with Africa and its people. Our local knowledge is unrivalled, making us the perfect partner for working on this proud continent. Our international experience and global design centres allow us to bring world-class solutions to our clients.
Let us grow local economies by building infrastructure that lasts. Let us co-create solutions that enable communities, environments, and economies to thrive. Let us shift our thinking to #beyondgreen.
2021/02/26 3:07 PM