In the business world today, sustainability has continued to gain prominence as the importance of sustainable business practices becomes better understood. More companies are adopting sustainable practices to improve their long-term efficiencies and also reduce the negative impact to the business and environment.
Here in Nigeria, the practice of business sustainability has gradually become an integral part of corporate conversations especially among global business corporations operating in the country who set aside a week to observe and promote sustainability annually, aligning it with relevant global commemorative days. More importantly, corporate citizens who feel the growing concern to balance economic and environmental needs find the environmental side of business sustainability even more endearing.
The British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) recently joined the ranks of business organisations in the country further extending contributions to sustainable development when it observed its first-ever sustainability week from September 23 to 27, 2019. The highpoint of the weeklong programme was the launch of the Corporate Recycling Programme, which involved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), on September 24, between the company and a foremost waste recycling company, Recycle Points, for responsible disposal and recycling of BATN’s physical waste.
As observed by the Area Director, BAT in West Africa, Yarub Al-Bahrani, in an opening address at the launch, the company, through the activities for the sustainability week, chose to align with the global community in commemorating the International World Clean Up Day, a day set aside by over 157 countries and 18 million volunteers worldwide to clean up the planet from waste of different forms.
While highlighting the company’s efforts on sustainability, Al-Bahrani noted that sustainability is vital to the company’s business and in securing its future.
“On the back of our inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the 18th consecutive year and being the only tobacco company to be included in the prestigious World Index, sustainability for us at BAT is not just a buzzword. Sustainability is a crucial part of our business and also a key enabler for securing the future of our company and creating shared value for our consumers, our shareholders and our stakeholders,” he said.
