Indalo Yethu is establishing a national voluntary accreditation system for greening initiatives across South Africa. The objectives of the system are to:

• Unite the growing numbers of greening activities under one umbrella;
• Endorse the effectiveness and efficiency of environmental products, services, programmes, processes, events, etc;
• Enhance the market for green goods and services; and
• Encourage new actions to improve South Africa’s performance in the fields of water, energy, biodiversity, waste management and pollution.

In so doing, Indalo Yethu will create an enabling environment for positive environmental interventions and innovations by all sectors, being a bridge between different interests and constituencies, and promoting good practice.

The principles that will guide the establishment and operation of the scheme are the following:

1. Ensure multi-stakeholder participation and co-operation;
2. Encourage the widest possible use of the Indalo Yethu endorsement logo, so that it becomes the recognised symbol of credibility in greening;
3. Be simple and complement other initiatives;
4. Set generic benchmarks and standards so as to promote a shared understanding of “greening”
5. Grow the market for green products and services through campaigns and partnerships;
6. Facilitate the sharing of knowledge, research and best practice;
7. Promote excellence and continuous improvement through customer feedback and other quality assurance mechanisms;
8. Maintain effective, participatory governance systems and procedures.

Implementation began in August 2007 and will run over an initial two-year period, during which Indalo Yethu will consult various constituencies and stakeholders to confirm the objectives and mechanisms of the system. During this period, implementation will be closely monitored by Indalo Yethu. Evaluation of the Endorsement System will be commissioned after 24 months to ensure that any gaps are addressed.

The roll-out of the system will be supported by a wide-spread national campaign of advertising and promotional interventions, and a drive to recruit and accredit actions by government, NGOs, business and consumer groups. From year three, this drive will seek to reach the widest possible membership base.