SEED History and Growth

SEED History and Growth

الأربعاء, 13 آب/أغسطس 2008 12:07

SEED was initiated in 2001 by the German Ministry for the Environment (BMU). It was presented as an “Example of Excellence” partnership inter alia by UNEP and BMU at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. The SEED Initiative was then registered at the Summit by UNEP, UNDP and IUCN as a partnership.

The SEED Initiative was then launched at simultaneous events at the World Social Forum (Mumbai) and the World Economic Forum (Davos) in January 2004. The events included a video link between the two Forums.

 

Early development 2005-2007
In 2005, and again in 2007, SEED Awards were given to five Award Winners, with five finalists. On both occasions, the winners were selected from over 250 applicants in about 70 countries through a global competition and a rigorous, independent judging process. Following a year of tailored support services from SEED, most of these awardees were on the road to establishing their initiatives, demonstrated by their track record since then.

SEED brought together all ten 2005 and 2007 Award Winners at the 2007 SEED Annual Forum in South Africa to share their knowledge and inspire others. Through its Research and Learning, SEED has published reports on Award Winners' experiences, drawing out trends and developing resources on crosscutting themes such as measuring success, growing a start-up sustainable development enterprise, strengthening partnerships and other support needs.

 

Scale up 2008-2012
Beginning in 2008, the SEED Awards scaled up, running the Awards on an annual basis. Five Award Winners were selected in 2008, and ten finalists. In 2009 20 Award Winners were selected out of nearly 1100 applications from 97 countries. In contrast to previous years, the 20 winners each received business planning support and subsequently, 5 were selected as Gold Winners; they received additional tailored capacity building and were networked and profiled at high level events in their own countries, and internationally.

Special focus on Africa in 2010 & 2011: In 2010 SEED will also establish its first SEED country scheme in South Africa, while also increasing the number of awards and having a focus on Africa.

African governments recognise increasingly that investments in green economic sectors, ecosystem restoration and the nurturing of natural capital can be instrumental in halting environmental degradation and  also create green jobs, secure sustainable livelihoods and contribute to poverty reduction and green growth. With the generous support of the EU, and in partnership with UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative, the SEED Initiative has introduced a special focus on Africa with the aim of supporting African countries looking to encourage green and sustainable economic sectors and socially responsible initiatives. The project combines economy-wide assessments with localised support for individual enterprises.  It is hoped that this support will help African countries to prepare for Rio+20, the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

This project will be piloted in seven countries in Africa (Burkina Faso, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa) that have requested cooperation andsupport from UNEP on the Green Economy. They were selected on the basis of start-up activities already initiated by them and, given the strong interest of the EU, through discussions with the EC country focal points. UNEP will seek to expand the project to other countries as additional resources are mobilised.

 

SEED is now also a member of the Green Economy Coalition (GEC). The GEC is a powerful new paradigm for the 21st century that offers creative solutions to multiple global challenges by linking people, planet and prosperity. GEC is a diverse set of global organisations and sectors from NGOs, research institutes, UN organis ations to trade unions, which recognise that the current economic system is failing to provide either social equity or environmental sustainability. Togther the members have a collective mission to accelerate the global transition to a green economy by mobilising a global civil society movement on a green economy; building a shared understanding of a green economy in different economic and cultural contexts; and influencing decision-makers to bring about that vision.

In 2011 SEED contributed by organising its first International SEED Symposium 'The Green Economy: Accelerating the Transition'. Read more about the SEED Symposim in the SEED news or find the full summary in our report paper.