“What you need is a coalition of the willing in the private sector to ensure that we have a just transition and that funding is allocated to enable and accelerate that transition towards more carbon free initiatives.”

In this interview, Leila Fourie notes that modern leaders must personally understand sustainability issues rather than simply delegating them to specialists. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange promotes sustainability through governance frameworks, innovative financial products like green and transition bonds, and listing requirements that encourage standardized reporting on environmental and social metrics. Market participants are increasingly rewarding sustainable companies that deliver more consistent results, while staff and customers are "voting with their feet" by choosing organizations aligned with their values. She highlights that South Africa has made significant progress on gender equality through regulatory requirements for board diversity and pay parity disclosure, though more work remains to achieve equal representation at the C-suite level.