Botswana is stepping up efforts to embed sustainability in everyday business operations with the launch of the Green Mark, a national recognition programme designed to encourage companies to improve their environmental performance while maintaining competitiveness.

The Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) announced the initiative in a press release dated September 22, 2026, describing the Green Mark as an extension of the nationally recognised Pride Mark programme.

The new initiative will recognise organisations that adopt measures including resource conservation, waste reduction, energy efficiency and compliance with environmental requirements.

However, the programme also raises questions about whether smaller businesses in Botswana have sufficient resources and expertise to shift towards more sustainable operations.

Anita Mbongwe, an environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainable finance expert, said the Green Mark could help businesses move sustainability beyond discussion and demonstrate their progress in measurable ways.

“The Green Mark is an important step because it moves sustainability from an abstract conversation into something businesses can begin to demonstrate, measure and be recognized for,” Mbongwe said. “But I think the bigger opportunity is what comes next.”

That next phase could be particularly significant for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which may struggle to access the knowledge, financing and other resources needed to improve their environmental performance.

“For Botswana’s MSMEs, the sustainability transition cannot simply be about asking businesses to adopt greener practices,” Mbongwe said. “We also have to ask whether they have the knowledge, capacity and appropriate finance to do so.”

The challenge extends to local suppliers operating within mining, tourism and agriculture value chains, as well as enterprises led by women and young people.

According to Mbongwe, the growing link between sustainability and competitiveness, procurement, investment and market access means Botswana’s financial and enterprise development ecosystem will also have to adapt.

BITC said the Green Mark was introduced at a time when investors, consumers and international markets are increasingly demanding measurable commitments from businesses on environmental, social and governance principles.

The agency expects the programme to encourage responsible environmental management while helping strengthen Botswana’s competitiveness and appeal to investors.

“The Green Mark is more than an environmental recognition program; it is a national commitment to building a more sustainable economy,” BITC CEO Keletsositse Olebile said in the Sept. 22 statement. “It reflects Botswana’s vision of creating businesses that are not only competitive and profitable but also environmentally responsible and future-focused.”

The September 22 announcement also launched a national communications and stakeholder engagement campaign.

BITC said it would use media engagement, radio discussions, digital campaigns and stakeholder outreach over the coming months to educate businesses and the public about the Green Mark and encourage participation.

The campaign is expected to end with the inaugural Green Mark Recognition Ceremony, where organisations demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental sustainability will receive recognition.

Mbongwe said the programme’s long-term impact could depend on whether businesses, especially smaller enterprises, receive practical assistance to respond to increasing sustainability expectations.

She added that the Green Mark could eventually form part of a wider ecosystem connecting sustainable business practices with supplier development, market access and financing.

“The question we need to keep asking is how do we finance and enable the transition for the businesses that form the backbone of our economy?” Mbongwe said.

The initiative forms part of a broader movement towards sustainable development and climate-conscious economic growth.

Its focus on environmentally responsible business practices is consistent with the wider objectives of the Paris Agreement and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which sets ambitions for environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient economies and communities.

Source: bantugazette