Taking place on Thursday, 20 July at the DP World Wanderers Stadium in Illovo (Johannesburg), this gathering will aim to bring together renowned experts, thought leaders, business professionals and visionaries committed to ESG.

The theme of 2023's conference is 'ESG: Options, solutions and innovations'. The one-day, interactive event will feature a mix of panel discussions and presentations.

South Africa’s Energy Crisis and ESG: Options and considerations for the logistics, transport and supply chain industries

According to the conference, load shedding has several implications for the transport sector, including:
  • public transport disruptions
  • traffic
  • fuel consumption, and
  • air pollution.

"Load-shedding also impacts on all three pillars of ESG," says Elvin Harris CMILT, president of CILTSA. "From an Environmental perspective, load-shedding indirectly contributes to environmental degradation."

"Increased use of private vehicles due to disrupted public transport can result in higher greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Additionally, if load shedding leads to the increased use of diesel generators, it further contributes to carbon emissions and air pollution," adds Harris.

"The social impact is also significant: it impacts particularly on vulnerable populations. Power outages disrupt daily routines, impact healthcare facilities, hinder access to education and affect businesses, thereby affecting livelihoods and quality of life," Harris says.

"In terms of the governance pillar, load shedding reflects governance challenges within the energy sector, such as inadequate infrastructure, mismanagement and insufficient investment in power generation capacity," Harris concludes. 
 
The panel will explore the various choices and factors to consider for logistics, transport and supply chain companies. The panel includes:
  • Chule Qalase — senior manager of sustainability and CSI at Isuzu
  • Kiren Maharaj — Trenex and chairperson of the SA National Energy Association, and
  • Henry Gilfillan — practice leader of Africa International Advisors.
Lauren Rota, vice president of environment, social and governance at Imperial Logistics, will facilitate this session.

Green / Sustainable Finance: How financial institutions are assisting logistics companies to achieve their green objectives

As financial institutions are increasingly recognising the importance of ESG factors in transport, logistics and supply chain, they are taking steps to assist companies in achieving their ESG objectives, says the conference.

A number of them have increased their service offerings to support logistics companies in their ESG efforts. These include:
  • sustainable financing
  • ESG advisory services
  • ESG data and analytics
  • collaboration and partnerships
  • ESG risk management, and
  • investor engagement.

The panel line-up for this session includes:
  • Bernard Vilakazi — sector specialist: transport and logistics at ABSA
  • Dr. Lwandle Mqadi — responsible business, ESG and sstainability impact: office of the chief operations officer at Industrial Development Corporation
  • Kuda Mukova — head of impact of ESG sustainability at Norsad Capital
  • Mbali Makhathini — ESG advisory at Nedbank CIB, and
  • Tyson Sibanda — manager of economic policy at Business Unity South Africa.

Safety, Compliance and Certifications for ESG is also consideration for companies and a focal point of the conference. This subject will be tackled by Henry Smith, sales director for Fleet (Africa) at MiX Telematics, as well as Oliver Naidoo, managing director of JC Auditors.

Julie Rosa, an associate director at PwC, will give an overview of the trends in the ESG sector. Ndia Magadagela, co-founder and CEO of electric vehicle and technology company Everlectrics, will discuss the case for electronic mobility in South African fleets.

CILTSA's ESG Conference is sponsored by:
  • MiX Telematics
  • Isuzu Motors South Africa
  • ISB Optimus
  • DP World Wanderers Stadium, and
  • Tendai Mhlanga Photography (Pty) Ltd.

The cost for members of the following associations is R1 000:
  • CILTSA
  • the Road Freight Association 
  • the SA Express Parcel Association 
  • the SA Association of Freight Forwarders 
  • the African Women in Supply Chain Association
  • Tshwane Women in Transport, and
  • the South African Institution of Civil Engineering.

The non-member rate is R1 250. Individuals are encouraged to register here. For sponsorship opportunities, individuals can contact Catherine at 083 300 0331 or email [email protected].

For more information, visit