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A matriculant participating in a GrowZA STEM education programme (Strength in Numbers) in Limpopo Province, South Africa
Sustainability reporting, particularly within the framework of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, has become a key element of corporate strategy in the global arena.
Multinational corporations, keen to demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable future, generate detailed reports filled with metrics such a materiality indexes, targets linked to the Sustainable Development goals, and worthy aspirations.
A sober analysis reveals a significant gap between the polished rhetoric of these reports and the complex realities on the ground—especially in Africa, where the true test of sustainability lies.
At GrowZA, the nature of our work engages us intimately with these ground-level realities. Our work in Africa provides a vantage point that highlights the shortcomings of current sustainability reporting practices.
These reports, while impressive in their scope and ambition, often fall short of addressing the real challenges faced by communities and environments in diverse and dynamic African contexts. They risk becoming exercises in form over substance, more focused on satisfying global stakeholders than on driving genuine, impactful change.
The Pitfalls of Rhetoric-Driven Sustainability
The central issue with much of today's sustainability reporting is its reliance on rhetoric over reality. Reports are crafted to align with the expectations of regulators, investors, and the global public—audiences that are often far removed from the lived experiences of people in Africa.
In this pursuit, the nuances of local socio-economic conditions are frequently overlooked, and the complexities of implementing sustainability in diverse contexts are underappreciated. This creates a disconnection that can lead to superficial solutions that are misaligned with, or even detrimental to, local needs (Employee Volunteer Programmes - EVC's are a good example of a bad example, but thats a topic for another day).
For instance, the emphasis on universal metrics and standardized approaches fails to capture the specificities of different African regions, where socio-economic challenges vary widely. The assumption that a one-size-fits-all approach can be universally applied is not only flawed but potentially harmful. It risks sidelining critical local issues that don’t neatly fit into the predefined ESG frameworks, leading to sustainability efforts that are, at best, ineffective and, at worst, counterproductive.
To this end, GrowZA has been co-opted to an initiative led by Statistics South Africa to domesticate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the South African context, with a particular focus on the civil society sector. As part of the Civil Society Sectoral Working Group, GrowZA is working alongside other organizations to help adapt global SDG indicators to better reflect the unique socio-economic challenges faced within the country.
This collaboration aims to ensure that the global targets are relevant and actionable at the local level, enabling civil society organizations to effectively track and contribute to sustainable development efforts.
Through this partnership, GrowZA supports the broader goal of creating a framework that integrates civil society’s contributions into the national SDG agenda, enhancing the collective impact on South Africa’s development trajectory.
The Need for a Pragmatic, Humanomics Approach
To bridge this gap between rhetoric and reality, a shift is needed—a move toward a more pragmatic and context-sensitive approach to sustainability reporting.
At GrowZA, we advocate for what Deirdre McCloskey terms a "humanomics" approach—one that integrates economic actions with historical, cultural, and ethical insights. This approach recognizes that true sustainability cannot be captured solely through metrics and checklists. It requires a deep engagement with the local context, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities that different regions present.
Humanomics insists on a holistic view of economic and social outcomes. It acknowledges that sustainability is not just about hitting targets but about fostering genuine partnerships, respecting local cultures, and addressing specific community needs. By embracing this approach, we move beyond the superficiality of standardized metrics and toward a richer, more meaningful understanding of what sustainability should entail.
In our work at GrowZA, we see the value of this approach daily. We understand that sustainability is not a box-ticking exercise but a continuous, iterative process of learning, adapting, and responding to real-world challenges.
This is where we support multinational companies in recalibrating their strategies. Rather than imposing top-down solutions, we engage in genuine dialogue with local partners who have a nuanced understanding of the on-the-ground realities. Such engagement is not merely an option; it is a necessity for making sustainability efforts truly effective.
From Rhetoric to Reality
For sustainability reporting to be more than just a rhetorical exercise, it must evolve to reflect the complexities of implementation in diverse contexts like Africa. This means moving away from the polished narratives that dominate current reporting practices and toward a more transparent and honest account of both successes and challenges. Sustainability efforts must be measured not only by what is reported but by what is actually achieved on the ground. This kind of reporting does not shy away from highlighting areas for improvement; instead, it embraces transparency as a tool for driving genuine progress.
A Clarion Call
The future of sustainability reporting—and indeed, the future of sustainability itself—depends on our ability to bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality. This requires a fundamental shift in how we think about ESG, moving away from seeing it as a compliance exercise and toward understanding it as a framework for long-term, meaningful change - see our blogpost ESG IS THE FUTURE OF PROFIT here
The humanomics approach we advocate at GrowZA offers a path forward. By integrating economic, cultural, and ethical insights into sustainability strategies, and by engaging deeply with local contexts, we can ensure that sustainability is not just a set of metrics in a report but a lived reality.
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