On April 15, 2011, nearly 200 people gathered in Pretoria, South Africa to explore the role of social and environmental enterprises in shaping the Green Economy. The SEED Symposium on The Green Economy: Accelerating the Transition, brought together start-up entrepreneurs, government leaders, international organizations, research institutions and the private sector in one of the first international meetings on this challenge.

Through keynote presentations, guest speakers, panel sessions and discussions, symposium participants explored two central questions:

• whether and how these enterprises—often with only one or two owners or employees—could accelerate the transition to green economies in their countries and regions

• what they might need in the way of support and enabling conditions from their governments.