Sustainability Matters in Africa | Africa Sustainability Matters

Social Responsibility

Africa’s Pulse: Digital Sector Responses to COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa

Grace Akinyi - October 16, 2020

Economic Responsibility

KenGen to Earn Ksh118 Million from Clean Development Mechanism Project

Economic Responsibility

How Firms Can Turn Staff into Employers

Environmental Responsibility

KAM Extends The War on Plastics to The Producer

ECONOMIC RESPONSIBILITY

Economic Responsibility

KenGen to Earn Ksh118 Million from Clean Development Mechanism Project

Vivian Kwame - October 16, 2020

Kenya’s leading energy producer KenGen is set to earn about USD 1,100,960 (about Ks 118million) in the next seven years from the...

Economic Responsibility

How Firms Can Turn Staff into Employers

Edward Mungai - October 15, 2020

Entrepreneurship has become quite a buzzword across the globe, with a hallowed ring to it. By simple definition it is a process...

How to Breath Life into Choked Planet

October 8, 2020

Kenya Gets €142 Million from France Towards Health, Transport and Water...

October 2, 2020

The Economic Case for Protecting Nature

September 25, 2020

Covid-19 Fight Gems Firms Ought to Pick

September 24, 2020

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Social Responsibility

Africa’s Pulse: Digital Sector Responses to COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa

Grace Akinyi - October 16, 2020

Five years ago, the sustainable development goals which are now under a threat due to COVID-19 were adopted. The gains we have...

Social Responsibility

Global Impact of Covid-19 on SDG’s: 2020 Goalkeepers Report

Grace Akinyi - October 8, 2020

It is now clear that COVID-19 has brought with it challenges that have drastically affected the 17 sustainable goals with the main...

Avenues Abound to Build Brand Kenya

October 1, 2020

Rethinking The Approach to Circular Fashion Economy

September 29, 2020

New Youthful Innovations Amidst Covid-19 For Africa by Africans

September 23, 2020

Wasting Food Is Equivalent to Throwing Money in The Bin

September 18, 2020

Kenyan Medical Engineers Printing Personal Protective Equipment to Help Curb the...

September 18, 2020

A One Million Kitchen Initiative That Is Curbing Food Crisis in...

September 2, 2020

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBLITY

Environmental Responsibility

KAM Extends The War on Plastics to The Producer

Pamela Okutoyi - October 14, 2020

Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), has today launched the Strategic Business Plan for the establishment of a Plastic Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO).

KCIC, GATSBY Africa Launch Commercial Forestry Program

October 14, 2020

An Inside Look into Sudan’s First Ever State of the Environment...

October 9, 2020

Kenya and Ethiopia to Kick Start Their Economies By Repairing Nature...

October 7, 2020

Africa Is No Safe Place for Children If Climate Change Is...

September 30, 2020

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Why There is Hope That The World’s Coral Reefs Can Be Saved

External Source - October 19, 2020

Kenya: Food Losses Hit U.S.$662 Million Annually, FAO Report Says

External Source - October 19, 2020

Why Africa Needs to Invest in Mental Health

External Source - October 19, 2020

Eating Better – For Us and The Planet

External Source - October 16, 2020

Wildlife Photographer of The Year 2020 Winners – in Pictures

External Source - October 16, 2020

Real-time Data Show COVID-19’s Massive impact on Global Emissions

External Source - October 15, 2020

Checkerboard Solar Panel Design Increases Light Absorption By 125%

External Source - October 15, 2020

The Future’s Not in Plastics

External Source - October 15, 2020

16 Ways to Take Action On Climate

External Source - October 14, 2020

Africa: The Importance of Clean Cooking in a Low Carbon Future

External Source - October 14, 2020

Tackling The Scourge of Plastic in The Oceans Is a Must

External Source - October 14, 2020

Tanzania: One Day After, Mt Kilimanjaro Is Still Burning

External Source - October 13, 2020

DON'T MISS

Why There is Hope That The World’s Coral Reefs Can Be Saved

External Source - October 19, 2020

Kenya: Food Losses Hit U.S.$662 Million Annually, FAO Report Says

External Source - October 19, 2020

Why Africa Needs to Invest in Mental Health

External Source - October 19, 2020

COVID 19 TRACK CASES IN THE WORLD

ABOUT AFRICA SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS

Africa Sustainability Matters (ASM) is the go-to hub on corporate sustainability, cutting-edge innovation, and leadership & policy. Besides impactful news stories, we offer unparalleled consultancy services – corporate sustainability reports, organizational sustainability blueprints & strategies, and management training. At ASM, we’re guided by the wisdom that success is never about making a business bigger, but should be about making it more valuable, while at the same time enriching the wider society. Contact Us for more details

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

_africasustainability

Building a sustainable Africa.
•Sustainability•|•Innovation•|•Impact Africa•

The UN has listed Kenya and Ethiopia as the only A

The UN has listed Kenya and Ethiopia as the only African countries aiming to kick start their economies by repairing nature. ⠀
.⠀
.⠀
According to the UN, some states are using restoration as an engine of employment, especially in rural areas where jobs are badly needed. It says, the strategy not only has the potential to kick start economic growth, it’s also key in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
Reviving nature is at the core of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global push to repair lands lost to development that is set to begin in 2021.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
In Kenya, the UN says that the country’s capital, Nairobi, has hired once-destitute families to clean up its parks and waterways, helping many to earn income and get off the streets. City officials are already seeing environmental benefits: 1,200 tons of garbage have been removed and fish are returning to the Nairobi River.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
Ethiopia on the other hand, the UN says, is aiming to plant 5 billion seedlings this year, as part of an effort to double its forest cover by 2030. Together with the Economic Commission for Africa, the country has focused on forest restoration as a way to create green jobs, improve the health of its citizens and spur a recovery from COVID-19. In 2019, Ethiopia set a new world record when over 350 million trees were planted in one day as part of President Abiy Ahmed’s Green Legacy Initiative.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
“A green recovery is one that tackles the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises at the same time,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
Read more on our website: africasustainabilitymatters.com⠀
.⠀
.⠀
#Environment #Sustainability #SDGs #GreenRecovery #BuildBackBetter #Kenya #Ethiopia #UN

Did You Know 💡⠀ .⠀ .⠀ The textile industr

Did You Know 💡⠀
.⠀
.⠀
The textile industry alone produces 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year and accounts for around 2️⃣0️⃣% of global industrial water pollution.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
While most companies, brands and designers are increasingly focusing on circular fashion models, resale, rental and repair, to mitigate these impacts, people are often left out of the conversation. The inustry has billions of customers and over 60 million employees worldwide in its value chain.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
According to the people-centered approach to a circular fashion economy report by Business for Social Responsibility(BSR) and Laudes foundation, despite the major social implications of a shift to circular business models, social issues are largely absent from the circular fashion discourse and design compared to environmental impacts.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
We therefore need to take a people centered approach to sustainable fashion👗🕶️⠀
. ⠀
. ⠀
“By taking a people-centered approach, we can build a more resilient industry and respond to the calls from stakeholders—through safer inputs that increase the health and safety of workers and production communities, enabling creative and dignified employment, and building inclusive models adapted to the needs of a diverse consumer base.” - BSR

Equal representation on women in leadership positi

Equal representation on women in leadership positions {Governments, board rooms, everywhere decisions are made} is key to solving the gender inequality issues affecting women and girls around the globe.
.
.
Urgent action is needed because this is not only a gender issue, this is a human rights issue.
.
.
We must act now.
.
.
#Sustainability #GenerationEquality #SDGs #UNGA #ASM #BuildBackBetter

Poland is for the first time placing a timeline on

Poland is for the first time placing a timeline on ending coal, which accounts for around 75% of the country’s electricity generation.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
The agreement was struck on Friday in the city Katowice, in the coal-rich southern region of Silesia, following several days of negotiations. It comes after hundreds of miners joined strikes this week by staying underground after their shifts in protest against threatened mine closures.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
The agreement sets out deadlines for the completion of hard coal production in individual mines and provides social guarantees to workers. The government is also due to draw a social contract with the sector which will directly influence its energy policy, the document says.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
“We signed the liquidation of one of the most important industries in the history of the Republic of Poland,” Dominik Kolorz, head of the Solidarity trade union in Silesia, said of the deal.⠀
. ⠀
.⠀
#CoalMining #Sustainability #Poland #GreenDeal #RenewableEnergy #SDGs #BuildBackBetter #EU #FossilFuels

The once clear waters of the Ngong River are curre

The once clear waters of the Ngong River are currently either black or grey in color with a sulfur-like smell that has made life impossible for the neighbouring communities.⠀
⠀
The Ngong River running through Kibera, the most populous slum in Nairobi, is choking with human, industrial and medical waste which has replaced aquatic life forms and other essentials. The slum convulses in water stress, chaotic stench and open sewers.⠀
⠀
The Ngong River, a pale shadow of its former self, is an open sewer with visible industrial chemical pollution, raw sewage and plastic waste. Over the years, the government has tried to rehabilitate the river with no much success, raising the question whether the regeneration program is a fallacy or cosmetic.⠀
⠀
However, all is not lost. A group of youths have shunned complaining and taken upon themselves to clean the river and make their dwellings clean and livable.⠀
⠀
The Mazingira Yetu Organization has mobilized one hundred and ten young people from the Kibera sub county to restore the Ngong River.⠀
⠀
The holistic river restoration exercise involving construction of abolition blocks, solid waste separation centers, sewer lines repair, cleaning up of the river and offering job opportunities to the youth is indeed a game changer.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
#Sustainability #NgongRiver #Sanitization #CleanUp #Nairobi #MazingiraYetu

Today is #OzoneDay and we are celebrating 3⃣5⃣

Today is #OzoneDay and we are celebrating 3⃣5⃣ years of ozone protection.
.
.
Wondering how you can be part of protecting our ozone layer? Here are a few tips 👆🏿📽️
.
.
#ozone #OzoneDay #ClimateAction #nature #environment #savethefuture

How can we make rural areas more 'appealing'? ⠀

How can we make rural areas more 'appealing'? ⠀
.⠀
.⠀
In most developing economies, Kenya included, urbanisation has long been seen as the best if not the only vehicle for economic development, moving people from the ‘unproductive’ countryside to more productive cities.⠀
⠀
Then Covid-19 arrived. A search for greener pastures in the form of well-paying jobs and social amenities such as education and healthcare has fuelled rural-migration numbers in recent years. Kenya’s urbanisation rate stands above Africa’s average, at 4.3 percent per year.⠀
⠀
Faced with limited opportunities, young people are forced to escape the underdeveloped rural economies. As a result, most rural communities have been hollowed out of energetic human capital.⠀
⠀
Kenya, like many economies on the continent, continues to rely on urbanisation to drive growth. Turning rural labour into urban labour workforce has always been seen as a way of boosting the country’s productivity.⠀
⠀
While the model has its fair share of merits, the pandemic has exposed it as unsustainable and in need of a rethink. ⠀
⠀
To be clear, I’m not pushing for a reverse in #urbanisation. It has many merits. It has, for instance, accelerated the pace of innovation as a result of competition, widening the range of products available to consumers and enabled faster sharing of best practices.⠀
⠀
I’m instead advocating for policies and mechanisms geared towards strengthening rural economies through deliberate development programmes without necessarily undermining the role of cities. Cities are also in need of upgrade, especially in informal settlements which are badly in need of modernised basic infrastructure such as water and sewerage and roads alongside housing.⠀
⠀
As it stands, current policies continue to discount the economic value of the countryside world. That people can only relocate to villages as a last option after being boxed into a corner is quite telling.⠀
⠀
This should not be the case. It is time to revamp rural #infrastructure, including roads and utilities and open up remote regions to investment as well as better social amenities like schools and hospitals.⠀
.⠀
.⠀
Read More: https://buff.ly/2wCFCfj

The Ministry of Agriculture, recently launched the

The Ministry of Agriculture, recently launched the One million kitchen garden initiative aimed at cushioning vulnerable households by ensuring access to nutritional fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Annie Nyaga, CAS Agriculture went on Twitter to update the progress of the initiative noting that so far, they have supported 206,742 households in setting up kitchen gardens. The Ministry aims to continue rolling out the initiative to all counties.

Vulnerable households are also being provided with a startup kits that consist of various vegetables seeds as well as small livestock ie rabbits ans poultry.

Images: Twitter - CAS, Agriculture Annie Nyaga

#Africa #Kenya #Agriculture #VijanaNaKilimo #SDGs #Ecofriendly #COVID19 #Farming

Swipe ➡️ to read more. Rising water levels a

Swipe ➡️ to read more.

Rising water levels along Kenya's Great Rift Valley have forced thousands of people from their homes.
.

.
There are also fears of an ecological disaster as two lakes are getting closer - causing fear of contamination, and threatening wildlife and livelihoods
.

.
Story : Al Jazeera.

Images: Unsplash.

#Sustainability #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #nature #environment #savethefuture #Riftvalley

Facebook Inc. is buying a huge amount of clean pow

Facebook Inc. is buying a huge amount of clean power across the U.S. and Ireland to support its operations. ⠀
⠀
The social-media giant -- already one of the world’s biggest corporate consumers of renewable energy -- signed contracts to buy 8️⃣0️⃣6️⃣ megawatts of additional solar and wind power, the company said. ⠀
⠀
The contracts support eight projects in Utah, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee and Ireland, and involve several different developers, including Brookfield Renewable Partners LP, D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments and Apex Clean Energy.⠀
⠀
Corporate appetite for cheap clean power has been a big recent driver of wind and solar growth in the U.S. and beyond. Tech giants including Facebook have led that push, in part to power their data centers.⠀
⠀
Facebook has deals for more than 5 gigawatts of clean power, 2 gigawatts of which is operating today. It expects another 1.5 gigawatts of wind and solar power to come online by year-end.⠀
⠀
-⠀
Story Source: Bloomberg ⠀
⠀
📸: Unsplash

Green innovations and business ideas are key to he

Green innovations and business ideas are key to helping mitigate #climatechange. The #ClimateLaunchpad Kenya finals will be happening on the 27th of August 2020. Don't miss out on the 13 great pitches participants have prepared. Just 2 days to go.

Waste oil including used engine oil, if not well m

Waste oil including used engine oil, if not well managed, can be a hazard to the environment as a result of unchecked dumping. A portion of it is actually misused to adulterate fuel or recycled and sold off as cheaper contraband lubricants. This malpractice negatively affects motorists since the substandard products could hurt the performance and lifespan of vehicle parts. Likewise, the unfair competition undercuts oil marketers while bypassing the taxman.⠀
⠀
Kenya churns out about 60 million litres of waste oil annually.⠀
⠀
To provide an avenue for safe and environmentally-friendly disposal of fuel waste, Bamburi Cement through its waste management division Geocycle has partnered with several petrol stations to co-process the generated waste in its kilns.⠀
⠀
Co-processing involves use of waste materials as alternative fuel to primary thermal energy sources like coal in industrial processes such as cement or steel production. It enables recovery of energy from waste.⠀
⠀
Cement production is energy-intensive, with energy accounting for 30-40 percent of production costs. Traditionally, in addition to electricity, the primary fuel has been coal and petroleum.⠀
⠀
Co-processing of waste in cement kilns offers advantages for the cement industry as well as for authorities responsible for waste management. Cement producers can save on fossil fuel and raw material consumption, contributing to a more eco-efficient manufacturing. Also, this waste recovery method uses an existing facility, eliminating the need to invest in a new, purpose-built incinerator or secure landfill site.⠀
⠀
Read full interview on our website : africasustainabilitymatters.com

Consumers in Kenya will soon be able to tell the l

Consumers in Kenya will soon be able to tell the level of pollution resulting from producing different products, in what aims to promote responsible operations among manufacturers.⠀
⠀
Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), a representative body for manufacturers in the country, is moving to roll out a carbon footprint calculator that will track emission levels from industries and award certification based on pollution levels. This information will be shared with the public, pointing them towards green consumerism by going for low-carbon products.⠀
⠀
Carbon-neutral factories will earn a green certification – a strong demonstration of their ethical practices.⠀
⠀
“Industrial emissions have an impact on climate change. With this in mind we need to prepare Kenyan manufacturers for tomorrow’s markets in which priority is not just about selling but also tracking the effects of your processes and products on the environment,” Sylvester Makaka, KAM energy advisor said in a webinar on how industries can adopt climate-smart technologies.⠀
⠀
“We’re currently building local capacity through trainings to be able to do the analysis and progressively move industries towards the certification regime,” he added.⠀
⠀
KAM recently launched a Centre for Green Growth and Climate Change aimed at promoting sustainable practices in factories.⠀
⠀
-⠀
⠀
📸: Unsplash - Alexander Tsang⠀
🔗: africasustainabilitymatters.com

Some 1.7 million urban poor families in Kenya are

Some 1.7 million urban poor families in Kenya are set to have their living conditions upgraded through modernised basic infrastructure like clean water in a social project funded by the World Bank.⠀
⠀
The World Bank approved a $150 million concessionary line of credit to Kenya last Friday under its International Development Association (IDA) programme, meant for poor nations.⠀
⠀
Besides being packed in shanties, the urban poor grapple with lack of access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation and healthcare, among other basic amenities. About 61 percent of urban households in Kenya live in slums.⠀
⠀
“Rapid urbanisation and an increasing share of the poor living in urban areas has outpaced services and infrastructure provision, and this project will contribute to reducing this infrastructure and services gap,” said Camille Lampart Nuamah, World Bank operations manager and acting country director for Kenya.⠀
⠀
“The project will also cushion urban informal settlement residents who depend on daily earnings against the negative socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.”⠀
⠀
-⠀
⠀
Read More On : africasustainabilitymatters.com

Tanzania’s public transport will move to cashles

Tanzania’s public transport will move to cashless payment system in October, the country’s transport regulator has said.⠀
⠀
The east African nation had expected to make the digital switch earlier this year but was put on hold as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. President John Magufuli has since declared the country corona-free but critics are not convinced.⠀
⠀
“Our plan is to have rollout throughout the country in October this year,” Johansen Kahatano of Land Transport Regulatory Authority (Latra) said on Tuesday during a virtual meeting hosted by technology firm Cellulant.⠀
⠀
“We have started by selecting a few roads for trial purposes. We have set a timeframe of two weeks from next week, where all buses plying the selected roads will be connected to our electronic platform (Tiketi Mtandao) through vendors like Cellulant and, thereafter, we’ll make assessments. The operators involved will be able to share with us and the public their experience of moving from manual to digital systems,” he added.⠀
⠀
Tanzania is looking to adopt an integrated digital payment system, allowing commuters to electronically pay through their mobile phone wallets, the web (e-ticketing) and point of sale devices (tap and go cards). Dar es Salaam has a bus rapid transit (BRT) system where high-capacity buses have been allocated special lanes on the roads as a way of increasing efficiency for commuters.⠀
⠀
Read more on our website: africasustainabilitymatters.com (Link In Bio)

Africa’s Sahara Desert is growing. 🌍⠀ ⠀ I

Africa’s Sahara Desert is growing. 🌍⠀
⠀
In 2018 it was found that the Sahara, the biggest desert in the world after Antarctica and the Arctic, had increased in size by 10 per cent over the last century. This expansion is due to a combination of man-made climate change and natural climate cycles, with most of the change happening along the northern and southern edges of the desert.⠀
⠀
This is where the Great Green Wall comes in, a project that could save an entire region from ecological collapse.⠀
⠀
💚 What is the great green wall?⠀
⠀
An entirely African-led initiative, the Great Green Wall is an ambitious project looking to grow an 8,000km natural wonder across the full width of Africa. Since 2007, millions of trees have been planted across the southern edge of the Sahara desert – with millions more to go.⠀
⠀
It was initially intended to be just a line of trees, stretching east to west, to help tackle the Sahara’s expansion down south. However the project, funded by the African Union, quickly evolved into a tapestry of different environmental interventions, using a range of ecological tools to construct a belt of greenery across the continent. ⠀
⠀
Although trees are still the primary focus, other methods are being used to help restore the land, based on the specific biogeographical needs of an individual area.⠀
⠀
“The Great Green Wall is about development; it’s about sustainable, climate-smart development, at all levels,” explains Elvis Paul Tangam, the African Union Commissioner for the project.⠀
⠀
Story Courtesy: EuroNews. ⠀
⠀
Image: Great Green Wall⠀
⠀
Learn more about this project on : www.greatgreenwall.org/take-action

Load More... Follow on Instagram