Zubeida Zwavel

Centre for African Resource Efficiency and Sustainability (CARES), South Africa

Executive Director

Description

Zubeida Zwavel is the executive director of the Centre for African Resource Efficiency and Sustainability (CARES) based in South Africa. The NGO aims to support small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by creating awareness and giving access to sustainability mechanisms and furthering women’s roles within sustainable business. The key objectives of the NGO is to apply a pragmatic approach to implementing sustainability into business processes and management systems. Ms Zwavel has an MBA from the University of Twente (the Netherlands) and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from CPUT. She has worked extensively with organisations such as UNEP, UNIDO, NCPC, and national governmental departments to drive sustainable consumption and production within private and public sectors. Zubeida has 20 years international experience in Sustainable Business, spearheading implementation projects in over 250 companies and organisations in all manufacturing and commercial sectors with extensive experience in the textile industry. Zubeida has coordinated a number of Industrial Ecology projects (such as Waste Minimisation Clubs, Symbiosis, and Eco-industrial parks) in varying sectors and industrial areas with her key activities including training and conducting audits. Additional key specialist skills include Life Cycle Management incorporating tools such as Eco-innovation, Eco-labelling, Carbon and Water Footprinting.