Business

Nedbank

WWF and Nedbank’s relationship is one that is steeped in a history of respect and mutual benefit. The partnership between the two organizations was initiated in 1990 with the creation of The Green Trust and the launch of the innovative Green affinity accounts at Nedbank, that have generated a constant revenue stream for a range of conservation activities supported by The Green Trust. The Green Trust partnership allowed considerable promotional leverage for Nedbank among a niche but profitable market segment. Since then, the two organisations have been bonded in many ways - not the least through common vision and understanding that business prosperity and environmental conservation are mutually inclusive.

In 2005, the partnership between WWF and Nedbank stepped up to a new level with the formalisation and signing of a ground breaking Conservation Partnership, in which Nedbank further entrenched its financial support to WWF. In turn, WWF harnessed its local and international expertise to provide constant support, insight and new ideas to drive the bank’s own internal environmental sustainability activities.

Sanlam

The wise management of our water resources and aquatic ecosystems is one of the most decisive factors that will affect the socio-economic development of South Africa and the wellbeing of the poorest sectors of our society over the next twenty years. At present usage rates, demand for freshwater will exceed supply by 2025, placing severe pressure on our freshwater ecosystems. Our inshore marine resources, which provide food and income to some of the poorest sectors of our society, are under similar levels of pressure. South Africa’s new democracy in 1994 allowed for the development of some of the most progressive and innovative freshwater and marine legislation in the world. However, the implementation of this legislation has proved challenging and simply cannot be successfully implemented by government working alone. Only a cohesive and concerted effort from government, the private sector and civil society will ensure success.

This challenge has brought together South Africa's leading financial investment company and South Africa's leading environmental NGO to create the WWF Sanlam Living Waters Partnership. WWF and Sanlam share a common vision that wealth and human wellbeing are built through the wise and rational management of resources and long term investments that benefit present and future generations. The Partnership seeks to catalyze concerted action from government, the private sector and civil society around six measurable targets. This will be done by developing a network of co-operation with all relevant stakeholders in these sectors and developing high impact and catalytic projects that deliver maximum progress against our conservation targets. These project activities will be nested within an advocacy framework, and supported by a strategically aligned financial, marketing and communications strategies.