22 Aug 2024

The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) and the Environmental Assessment Practitioner Board (EAPB) will go a long way in assisting environmental assessment practitioners develop their skills through accessing up-to-date information on environmental management systems.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Gaborone on Tuesday, BOBS managing director, Mr Botsile Kebapetse said that the arrangement would help strengthen the practitioners’ overall knowledge and skills of environmental assessment.

“The MoA will also serve as a basis for both organizations to leverage synergies they have, to coordinate and strengthen collaboration in the aspect of training and continuing professional development. 

This includes sharing of information on standards and technical regulations and creation of awareness in connection with standardization and quality assurance which is beneficial to regulators, consumers and our stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Kebapetse also said that the collaboration between the two entities would go a long way in supporting both, to seamlessly assist their respective clients with services they required in the aspects of environmental management.

EAPB board chairperson, Mr Lemogang Molebatsi said that the organisation was equally excited and optimistic about future possibilities from the agreement. “I am confident that the signing of this MoA symbolises a partnership, which I believe will lead to many new joint initiatives that produce new synergies and add professional value to environmental management in the years ahead,” he said.

EAPB board treasurer, Ms Koziba John said that BOBS initiative to align and adopt the Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) framework and implementing their principles came with a responsibility, accountability and milestones to be achieved.

“I believe the continuing professional development courses would greatly help the practitioners, and I also believe that this is the beginning of a great journey ahead of us,” she said.

Ms John also called for the need to appreciate environmental sustainable goals by practitioners and implement them in whatever they were doing.

The aim of the MoA is to among others, support environmental protection and sustainability within the framework of Environmental Management Systems and also provide a framework to facilitate continuing professional development for certified environmental assessment practitioners.

It also aims to promote continuing professional development for environmental assessment practitioners and ensure that such development is consistently implemented by the practitioners. EAPB is a non-profit making professional body whose purpose is to regulate the quality of environmental assessment in Botswana. 

This is to promote sustainable management of the environment, through realisation of quality environmental assessment, thus subscribing to sustainable development goals and national priorities.Ends