Business, our country and the world, reel from the havoc brought on by simple misguided assumptions and speculation of ever-increasing property and share values. But behind this curtain of uncertainty, the light of renewable energy and energy management is growing brighter by the day. Unlike the catalyst of the current recession, the energy management model is sound.

Energy and climate change, the current business catch phrase, is spurred on by the legislative big stick of power consumption penalties; carbon taxes; greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and of course, the imminent threat of more black-outs. Most businesses are paralyzed by this threat, and there-in lies the opportunity.

MAC can fill this void. Partnering with the right technical expertise, we can assist in implementing the energy and climate change strategies our clients need to prosper in the Green economy. Success here lies in innovative business models and operating systems; enabling technology; sustainable market-adoption strategies and favourable government policy.

The crutch of Africa’s developing status has now become a springboard of opportunity. The boom years in South Africa hid the Kyoto protocol’s enormous funding and energy efficiency incentives presented to us. In contrast, South America and the East, which had similar status, gobbled up the gift horse of opportunity. These countries set incentive policies, their businesses took advantage of funding such as presented by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and they started transforming their economies. It is Africa’s turn now.
Engineering News, 14 October 2009 stated, “The ‘cleantech’, or low-carbon technology sector, was the fastest growing among venture capital sectors, and experienced 1000% growth between 2000 and 2007, making it the third venture capital sector in size, after information and communications technology and biotechnology.”

The green economy doesn’t grow like the proverbial beanstalk from magic beans, sunlight and water. It needs new factories producing new products, new artisans and innovative engineers. Existing businesses, the small and the large, are realising that their ships need to set a new direction - and MAC can be the navigators guiding them around the storms of threats and uncertainty, to the calmer waters of the new economy.

Our clients, who have learned to lean on MAC for our quiet leadership and sound support in the past, will need to know that we will continue to do so in the future in this new field.