Mobilising board directors and business leaders to drive climate governance, ESG strategy, and sustainable growth across Southern Africa.
Chapter Zero Southern Africa operates across three interconnected pillars — connecting business leaders to climate knowledge, events, and global insights that drive real governance change.
We create structured spaces where board directors and executives engage directly on climate governance — building peer networks that last beyond any single event.
We equip governing body members with the frameworks, tools, and knowledge needed to integrate climate risk into strategy, oversight, and decision-making.
We curate and share high-quality intelligence — from global climate science to local regulatory shifts — keeping Southern African leaders informed and ahead of the curve.
Chapter Zero Southern Africa is built for leaders who take governance seriously. Every benefit is designed to translate into boardroom impact.
Equip your board with the fluency to interrogate climate risk, challenge management assumptions, and embed sustainability into every strategic decision — not just the annual report.
Attend curated forums, roundtables, and expert briefings designed around the realities of a board director's schedule — substantive, time-efficient, and immediately applicable.
Join a global movement of over 15,000 board directors across 15+ countries. Share intelligence, benchmark practices, and draw from governance frameworks that are shaping policy worldwide.
Navigate TCFD, ISSB, and local regulatory frameworks with confidence. Gain practical tools to strengthen disclosure quality and manage the reputational and legal risks of non-compliance.
Earn continuing professional development credits through accredited programming. Demonstrate a measurable commitment to climate governance as a board director or trustee.
Access early intelligence on regulatory shifts, investor expectations, and just transition developments across the SADC region — before they reach the mainstream boardroom agenda.
Five structured workstreams, each accountable for a distinct area of strategy — together delivering the full scope of Chapter Zero Southern Africa's mandate.
Shaping the frameworks and standards that define climate accountability in the boardroom.
Building a seamless, high-value experience for every member of the network.
Connecting Southern Africa to the global climate governance conversation.
Mobilising C-suites and boards to lead the climate transition with purpose and authority.
Delivering structured, accredited learning that turns climate awareness into governance action.
Chapter Zero Southern Africa aligns with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, working with board directors to integrate these principles into corporate governance and climate action.
Learn more about the SDGsEnd poverty in all its forms everywhere
End poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030. This includes ensuring equal rights to economic resources, basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, and access to financial services.
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. Ensure access to safe, nutritious food year-round and double agricultural productivity.
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Reduce maternal mortality, end preventable deaths of newborns and children, and combat communicable diseases.
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Build and upgrade education facilities that are inclusive and provide safe learning environments.
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. End all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, and ensure full participation in leadership and decision-making.
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Achieve universal access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, and improve water quality.
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable energy
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Increase substantially the share of renewable energy and double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency.
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Achieve higher productivity through innovation and protect labor rights.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive industrialization
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Develop quality infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being.
Reduce inequality within and among countries
Reduce inequality within and among countries. Empower and promote social, economic and political inclusion of all, and ensure equal opportunity by eliminating discriminatory laws and policies.
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Ensure access to adequate housing and basic services, upgrade slums, and provide universal access to safe public spaces.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Achieve sustainable management of natural resources, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
Take urgent action to combat climate change
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards, integrate climate measures into policies and planning.
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Prevent and reduce marine pollution, protect marine ecosystems, and regulate fishing practices.
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt biodiversity loss and prevent species extinction.
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize partnerships
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. Enhance international cooperation, promote knowledge sharing and technology transfer.
As board directors, understanding and integrating the SDGs into corporate strategy is essential for sustainable governance.
Elevate your organization's commitment to climate governance with our comprehensive corporate membership program.
Be part of a growing network of organizations committed to climate-conscious governance.
Get Started TodayUnlock exclusive benefits that empower your entire leadership team to drive sustainable governance.
Include executives who support your governing bodies' sustainability decisions with comprehensive training and resources.
Demonstrate your commitment to Chapter Zero principles and support Southern Africa's Just Transition journey.
Annual report on governing body member sustainability growth and development in your chosen format.
Contact us for tailored membership options.
We're building a community of directors, trustees, accounting officers and other governing body members who understand the business risks and opportunities of climate change.
Join for free to access:
One cannot be prepared for something, while secretly believing it will not happen.
Nelson MandelaFormer President of South Africa
Fill out the form below to join our communications and events. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.
If you are an executive committee member, company secretary or sustainability officer, you can also join the events if your organisation is a Corporate Member.
We provide 11 training events per year as well as monthly networking activities.
Training events are held as hybrid events, in-person at various locations across the region, and simultaneously online. Recordings of our training events are available for members on request.
Networking events are held in partnership with collaborating organisations. If such opportunities carry a cost, we ensure that specials are for our members.
Join and we will keep you updated with news and event participation details.
16 July 2024
The board directors we spoke to pointed to a variety of reasons, like:
18 January 2024
This presentation by Stephanie Bertels provides guidance for boards on:
21 September 2023
This presentation by Joanne Henstock provides guidance for boards on:
19 October 2023
This presentation by Dr Alex Hetherington provides recent updates regarding:
30 November 2023
This presentation by Prof Ralph Hamann provides guidance for boards on:
