Guinness Nigeria signs on to CBI

 

Guinness Nigeria Plc, one of the leading brewing houses in Nigeria has signed on to The Convention on Business Integrity (CBI) to reaffirm its commitment to the war against corruption and unethical practices.

The signing ceremony which took place recently in Lagos marked a formal public declaration by the company that it is committed to conducting its business in Nigeria ethically.

Paul Walsh, CEO of Diageo Plc in his speech at the occasion, said the event was a landmark one in the history of Guinness Nigeria. According to him, “Compliance continues to be a key area of focus for leading multinationals worldwide, not least for Diageo and Guinness Nigeria. We have been part of this country’s society for over 60 years and in those 60 years we have recorded remarkable achievements. I am proud of our position as a leading ethical company in Nigeria.”

He said the company will continue to operate with the highest standards of ethical conduct in Nigeria.

Earlier in his speech, Mr. Soji Apampa, executive director CBI, said membership of the convention is voluntary but not an all comer’s affair. According to him, “Though it does not mean that a signatory to the convention is a perfect company, it places a burden of making appreciable efforts to ensure that as a matter of internal business process, it controls its operations to ensure it is compliant at least with minimum, universally acceptable standards of business integrity and all the appreciable laws of the country in which it operates.”

He said it is this strict demand of compliance to the highest level of ethical practices that has kept the number of signatories in Nigeria to just 27 since the convention was founded in 1997. “There are not many companies or even individuals who can beat their chest and say ‘I am sure of myself and therefore I want to sign to the convention’. However, it is not about numbers, it is about the commitment of those who are already on board. Their little efforts will go a long way to transforming our country for good,” he said.

Guinness is the 22^nd corporate organization in Nigeria to sign on to the convention an action which Mr Delvin Hainsworth, managing director Guinness Nigeria described as a further demonstration of the company’s commitment to Nigeria. According to him, “In the over 60 years of our operation in Nigeria, we have recorded many landmark achievements. None of these achievements would have been possible without the robust compliance framework which we have worked diligently to build. I believe that our success is not only founded on the commitment and hard work of our dedicated staff, suppliers, distributors and partners, but also on the value of transparency and integrity which underpin our business transactions.”

The event was attended by many eminent personalities including the elder statesman, Dr Christopher Kolade.

Various News on the Environment “2”. by Kolawole Ilori

Survey predicts brighter future for sustainable product marketing

 

If you build it, they will come. That’s the message behind a new research study conducted by shopper marketing and industry insight experts, Ryan Partnership Chicago and Mambo Sprouts Marketing, which shows health and eco-consumers want one universal green score to help them make sustainable product buying decisions.

New survey findings published in the One Green Score for One Earth sustainability research white paper suggest shoppers would increase sustainable product spending if only they could determine which products were truly green and which had been simply green-washed.

“We know that consumer commitment to earth-friendly products is increasing,” says Christine Nardi Diette, president of Ryan Partnership Chicago. “But all of the green messaging is creating more confusion than confidence. Consumers are challenging manufacturers and retailers to be clear about their commitment to sustainability.”

According to the study, health and eco-conscious consumers say that a universal product sustainability score would influence their brand purchase decisions. Research findings indicate just how strong the demand is for such a score and how consumers would prefer the rating system to work.

 

AT&T to use plant plastic in accessory packaging

 

AT&T has announced plans to introduce new plastic in AT&T-branded accessory packaging, which is composed of up to 30 percent plant-based materials sourced from

ethanol harvested from natural sugarcane. The sugarcane used in this plant plastic is a rapidly renewable agricultural crop and replaces nearly a third of the fossil fuels traditionally used in this accessory packaging with material made from plants.

The adoption of the new plastic is part of AT&T’s broader overall commitment to minimize its environmental impact. In March of 2010 the company announced its plans to slim down their accessory packaging; in 2010 and 2011, the company eliminated the use of over 500 tons of paper and plastic in that packaging.

Customers can expect to see the transition to the new packaging in stores and online starting October 2, 2011. The plastic will be used in packaging for AT&T-branded wireless accessories, which includes most device cases and power accessories.

“As a company we are committed to minimizing our own environmental impact, and we see the introduction of this plant-based plastic as an important step in the right direction,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president for devices, AT&T. “We are excited to be the first U.S. telecom company to use this plastic in our packaging and we hope other companies will join us in finding ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. We are actively working with our accessory suppliers to incorporate both less packaging and more sustainable plastic and paper.”

Prior advancements in AT&T’s efforts to reduce waste and minimize the overall environmental impact of accessory packaging include using soy and/or vegetable-based ink and recycled paperboard

AT&T is committed to integrating sustainable business practices across its business and was recently added to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 12th Annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List. AT&T was also included in the 2010 Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI) and in Carbon Disclosure Project’s (CDP) 2010 Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI).

 

 

KIV

Entergy Corporation leads in sustainability for 10 years

 

For the 10th straight year, Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) has been recognized as a leader in sustainability, ranking among the best in climate strategy, corporate governance, occupational health and safety, price and risk management, and scorecard measurements.

Entergy was named to the 2011-12 Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, one of only 13 U.S. utilities included on that list. DJSI North America evaluates the largest North American companies based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.

 

Entergy has been included on either the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index or DJSI North America every year since 2002.

 

“We could not be more proud of Entergy being named among the sustainability leaders for what is now 10 years in a row,” said J. Wayne Leonard, chairman and chief executive officer of Entergy Corporation. “It’s objective validation that our work to integrate sustainable business principles into our business model continues to pay dividends to the environment, our customers and our shareholders.”

 

Companies are selected for the index based on a comprehensive assessment of long-term economic, environmental and social criteria that account for general as well as industry-specific sustainability trends.

 

The DJSI North America selects the top 20 percent in terms of sustainability from each industry sector of the 600 biggest North American companies on the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index. The results were announced by SAM, an investment firm focused on sustainability investing, together with Dow Jones Indexes.

 

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.

 

Entergy.com

Other News. by Kolawole Ilori

Child labor: Hershey gets “F” in annual report card

 

A year has gone by since non-profit groups shined a spotlight on Hershey for its use of forced child, and trafficked labor in its chocolate products. Twelve months later, the groups are saying that no progress has been made and that Hershey chocolate is still tainted by child labor.

Recently, Green America, Global Exchange and the International Labor Rights Forum published a follow-up to the report they released last year: Time to Raise the Bar: The Real Corporate Social Responsibility Report for the Hershey Company.

The updated report, the publication of which coincides with the expected annual release of Hershey’s own corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, critiques Hershey’s existing CSR initiatives and highlights the fact that Hershey is falling further behind its competitors in removing child labor from its products. The report urges Hershey to commit to sourcing Fair Trade cocoa to stop these abuses.

The three groups give Hershey an “F” for failing to remove child labor from its supply chain. September 19, 2011 marked the 10-year anniversary of the signing of the Harkin-Engel Protocol – an agreement made by US’s largest chocolate companies, including Hershey – to put an end to forced child labor in chocolate by 2005. A full decade after making this commitment, hundreds of thousands of children continue to work in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms in West Africa, and human trafficking continues.

While some of Hershey’s closest competitors, including Mars and Nestlé, have committed to begin sourcing cocoa that is independently certified to comply with labor rights standards, Hershey, the largest and most iconic chocolate company in the US – maker of Hershey’s Bars, Reeses’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Hershey’s Kisses – still lags behind.

 

Kraft Foods applauds employees for outstanding volunteer efforts

 

Finding homes for abandoned pets, working with orphans, counseling struggling youth, and securing an education for teens, these are just some of the many ways five outstanding Kraft Foods employees are making a difference in their communities.

The Kraft Foods Foundation is honoring Carlos Fonseca from Venezuela, Michelle Voss from the United States, Maria de Jesus Rocha from Mexico, Lizzie Lee from the United Kingdom and Marion Gathoga from Kenya for their extraordinary year-round commitment to volunteerism with the first-ever Delicious Difference Awards. The Kraft Foods Foundation will fund a $10,000 grant to each of the nonprofit partners of the award winners.

“The Delicious Difference Awards are our way of putting the spotlight on these five amazing employees, who are truly our superstars,” said Nicole Robinson, Vice President of the Kraft Foods Foundation. “I’m personally inspired by these individuals and so proud of the invaluable impact they each make in their communities year after year.”

 

IIRC launches Integrated Reporting Discussion Paper

 

Business and investment leaders have called for a new approach to corporate reporting in a landmark discussion paper, called Towards Integrated Reporting – Communicating Value in the 21st Century, published by the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC).

Integrated Reporting will provide more comprehensive and meaningful information about all aspects of an organization’s performance and position, presented in a much clearer, more concise and more user friendly format. In particular it will demonstrate the links between an organization’s financial performance and the social, environmental and economic context within which it operates.

The development of Integrated Reporting is designed to enhance and consolidate existing reporting practices to move towards a reporting framework that provides the information needed to develop the global economic model to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Integrated Reporting will be clear and comprehensible, providing a meaningful assessment of the long-term viability of an organization, meeting the information needs of investors and other stakeholders, and supporting the effective allocation of financial, manufactured, human, intellectual, natural and social capital.

Various News on the Environment. by Kolawole Ilori

Going Green: AT&T sets new milestone

 

 

AT&T’s 10-year commitment to a cleaner corporate fleet is rolling into new territory. The company recently announced the deployment of the 4,000th alternative-fuel vehicle (AFV) in its corporate vehicle fleet – with more than 2,000 AFVs deployed in California alone. It also announced that it has deployed its 3,000th compressed natural gas vehicle (CNG).

AT&T deployed its 4,000th AFV in Chicago, IL; its 3,000th CNG in Houston, TX; and the 2,000th AFV of its California fleet in San Diego. All of the milestone vehicles are Ford E250 CNG vans.

The deployments are the latest in AT&T’s planned 10-year investment of up to $565 million to replace approximately 15,000 fleet vehicles with alternative-fuel models through 2018. Currently, the AT&T corporate fleet – which is part of the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities’ National Clean Fleets Partnership – features more than 71,500 vehicles and includes one of the largest U.S. corporate commitments to CNG vehicles to date. AT&T avoided the purchase of one million gallons of petroleum in 2010 as a result of its use of CNG vehicles.

“As the economy rises and falls with fuel prices, we have a responsibility to look for smart ways to reduce our costs,” said Jerome Webber, vice president, AT&T Global Fleet Operations. “Putting 4,000 alternative-fuel vehicles on the road – including 3,000 compressed natural gas vehicles – is a significant statement about the ability of fleet operators to not only reduce costs, but also to cut vehicle emissions. Every alternative fuel vehicle on the road brings us closer to energy independence, and that’s good for our company and our country.”

Along with its fleet of CNG vehicles, AT&T is deploying all-electric and extended range electric vehicles in its fleet. AT&T fleets in St. Louis, Dallas and Los Angeles received the first of these vehicles. AT&T expects to make additional deployments in 2011 and 2012.

Through 2013, AT&T anticipates it will have purchased approximately 8,000 CNG vehicles at an anticipated cost of $350 million. The company expects to invest an additional $215 million through 2018 to replace approximately 7,100 fleet passenger cars with alternative-fuel models.

According to a 2009 Center for Automotive Research report, AT&T’s planned alternative-fuel vehicle initiative would:

 

* Save 49 million gallons of gasoline over the 10-year deployment period.

* Reduce carbon emissions by 211,000 metric tons – the greenhouse gas equivalent of removing 38,600 passenger vehicles from the road for one year.

 

 

 

UPS also goes for 100 all-electric vehicles

 

 

UPS (NYSE: UPS) has announced the purchase of 100 all-electric delivery vehicles for deployment in California, bolstering UPS’s continuing effort to reduce the emissions of its truck fleet and improve its energy security.

The 100 vehicles will be acquired from Electric Vehicles International (EVI) of Stockton, Calif., and will replace older generation diesel trucks in the largest single deployment of zero tailpipe emission delivery vehicles in the state. These electric vehicles will have a 90-mile range and displace an estimated 126,000 gallons of fuel a year that would have been burned running diesel trucks.

“This purchase is a milestone for UPS’s alternative fleet expansion,” said Mike Britt, UPS’s director of vehicle engineering. “UPS’s research and development of alternative technologies has determined it is time to explore electric drive systems within the short-range segment of our delivery fleet. This purchase is an important first step in supporting investment and advancement in electric vehicle technology. EVI’s vehicle met our requirements in the test phase. Now we will operate these vehicles in the real world and help establish the future viability of this technology.”

UPS currently has 28 all-electric vehicles in its fleet operating in New York City and in Europe.

UPS operates one of the largest private fleets of alternative fuel vehicles in its industry with more than 2,200 in total. Since 2000, UPS’s “green fleet” has traveled more than 200 million miles. Besides all-electric technology, UPS has deployed Compressed Natural Gas, propane, Liquified Natural Gas and hybrid- electric vehicles in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Brazil, Korea, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. It also has tested hybrid hydraulic and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

UPS’s first foray into alternative fuel vehicles was with a fleet of electric vehicles that operated in New York in the 1930’s. Prior to this purchase, the company also tested an electric car in Santiago, Chile, and 13 zero tailpipe emission electric minivans in downtown Los Angeles.

“The advantage of an electric power train is zero tailpipe emissions.” added Britt. “These trucks will be perfectly suited for UPS’s short range urban delivery routes.”

UPS pursues a wide range of socially responsible and sustainable business practices designed to reduce its impact on the environment and improve communities around the world though the company has not yet began experimenting with any of these all-electric vehicles in Africa especially Nigeria.

 

 

Turner, Earle and Branson form OceanElders

 

Ted Turner, Dr. Sylvia Earle and Sir Richard Branson have joined together to help launch OceanElders to help put ocean conservation at the forefront of the global agenda. The newly formed non-profit organization brings together global leaders to use their wide range of experience and influence, supported by science and data, to pursue the protection of the ocean’s habitat and wildlife.

Joining Mr. Turner, Dr. Earle and Sir Richard Branson as founding Ocean Elders are Jackson Browne, Dr. Rita Colwell, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Graeme Kelleher, Sven Linblad, Captain Don Walsh and Neil Young.

“I have a great love for the oceans and I believe that we need a plan to save them,” said Turner. “I’m honored to work together with global leaders in order to advance critical ocean issues and help protect these ecosystems.”

Over the past four decades, Turner has stepped into the international spotlight with one accomplishment after another. Whether in billboard advertising, cable television, sports, sailing, environmental initiatives or philanthropy, Turner’s vision, determination, generosity and forthrightness have consistently given the world reason to take notice.

Dr. Earle, called “Her Deepness” by The New Yorker and The New York Times, is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer with experience as a field research scientist. She will take the lead from a scientific and conservation perspective, helping navigate the wide range of complex ocean issues. Having led more than 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater, Dr. Earle’s experience in deep-sea research, exploration and conservation is unparalleled.

Sir Richard Branson is Founder and Chairman of the Virgin Group. Virgin is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands and has expanded into many diverse sectors from air and ground travel to telecommunications, health, space travel and renewable energy through more than 200 companies worldwide.  Sir Richard was instrumental in founding The Elders, an organization focused on human rights.

In addition to working at the global policy level, OceanElders will develop a web-based network of regional Ocean Elders focused on garnering support for ocean-related issues in their local communities. The overarching goal is to make the oceans top-of-mind in people’s thoughts and conversations, bringing the issue to the forefront of the global agenda for the first time in history.

The idea for OceanElders was born on the Mission Blue Voyage to the Galapagos Islands in April 2010, where more than 100 scientists, business leaders, philanthropists and celebrities came together to help Dr. Sylvia Earle, 2009 TED Prize Winner. Given “one wish to change the world” by TED, Earle asked for help in catalyzing public support for the urgent need for ocean conservation by advocating for the establishment of a global network of marine protected areas – “hope spots” in Earle’s words – big enough to save and restore the ocean.

A Mission Blue Voyage participant and philanthropist, Gigi Brisson returned home inspired to sustain the momentum sparked in the Galapagos. Aware of the mission and positive impact of The Elders in addressing human rights, Brisson believed that a similar structure could be applied to benefit the ocean. Following its model, Brisson created and funded OceanElders, and targeted global leaders who had a personal passion for the ocean and all marine life.

 

Nestle wins the 2011 Stockholm Industry Water Award

 

Nestle received the Stockholm Industry Water Award for its leadership and performance to improve water management in its internal operations and throughout its supply chain

The Award Committee recognised Nestlé’s work to improve the water management of its suppliers, which includes over 25 million people who are involved in its entire value chain. Joppe Cramwinckel, Award Committee Member and Director of Water Projects at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, said: “Through its unwavering commitment, Nestlé has established itself as a leader in smart water management and is deserving of this prestigious award. It is providing an example for other food producers and distributors to follow. With agriculture accounting for nearly 70% of global water use, and food demand expected to double by 2050, companies have an increasing responsibility to improve food chain resource efficiency.”

The honourary award was presented to the chairman of Nestlé SA, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, at a ceremony during the World Water Week in Stockholm. When receiving the news earlier, he said: “I am most grateful for this recognition. We have identified water as the biggest challenge for future food security, and beyond that, for economic growth. This is probably the most prestigious award in this area for a company – and it will be a strong encouragement for us to continue with our efforts.”

Nestlé is the largest food and nutrition company in the world, employing around 280 000 people in over 100 countries. Over the past decade, Nestlé has reduced the total water withdrawals by over 30 percent, more than doubled the water efficiency of their internal operations and made significant reductions in the quantity of wastewater discharged into the environment.

 

 

Green Festival celebrates 10th anniversary October 29th

 

Green Festival, United States’ premier green living event is billed to hold in Los Angeles October 29-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year, Green Festival celebrates a 10 year milestone with over one million attendees in eight cities.

This unique experience celebrates positive solutions working in US communities. It’s where people come to meet renowned authors, actors, visionaries and community leaders; shop with hundreds of green businesses; participate in do it yourself (DIY) workshops; enjoy live music and local vegan and vegetarian cuisine; and join friends at the organic beer and wine garden.

“In Mayor Villaraigosa’s ongoing commitment to make Los Angeles one of the world’s Greenest Cities,  he is happy to welcome Green Festival  to Los Angeles and looks forward to opening the festival on October 29th,” according to Romel Pascual, Deputy Mayor of Environment for Los Angles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa.

Ten stages and pavilions will host more than 125 inspirational and educational speakers and teachers, including Dolores Huerta, Amy Goodman, Tom Hayden, Marianne Williamson, Rev. Yearwood Lennox and the Hip Hop Caucus, John Perkins, Starhawk, Mark Hertsgaard, David Korten, Jeffrey Smith, Jodie Evans and many more.

Spanish language programming will include Latino cooking demonstrations, greening your home and garden, and activities for the whole family at the Green Kid’s Zone.

“We’re excited to host the inaugural Green Festival in Los Angeles and bring Angelenos together to learn how to bring sustainability into their lives,” says Jonathan Parfrey, Climate Resolve Executive Director and a commissioner at the Department of Water & Power Board. “For those of us who care about Los Angeles and its future, the Green Festival is a place to talk about climate change and how to prepare to adapt.”

With the holiday season just around the corner, Green Festival is the perfect location to support local businesses all in one location. The Green Marketplace profiles hundreds of green and socially responsible businesses and organizations. Attendees browse everything from green, non-toxic home furnishings to organic clothing to Fair Trade gifts, children’s toys and much more.

View socially and environmentally impactful film shorts at the Communications Revolution Stage and the Sierra Club Green Cinema. Discover the latest in environmentally responsible construction materials and methods in the Green Building Pavilion. Empower your inner entrepreneur with Green Business Seminars and find your next green careers.

Check out the latest in all-electric and hybrid transportation at the Ford Pavilion and enjoy a test drive right at the Green Festival.  Join Ford in celebrating social and environmental innovation in the community and vote for the finalists who will win a $5,000 Ford Community Green Grant.

A joint project of Green America and Global Exchange, Green Festival is a non-profit 501c3 event to explore and build sustainable solutions for successful communities and a healthier environment.

 

Green sectors expanding into trillions of Dollars

 

While mainstream media, economists and general opinion still designate the Green Economy as “emerging” and assume green investments are riskier or provide lower returns than other investments, global investors have quietly and increasingly moved their assets into the green transition. The 2011 midyear update of Ethical Markets Media’s GREEN TRANSITION SCOREBOARD shows more than $2.4 trillion of private sector investments in green companies and technologies globally since 2007.

The Green Transition Scoreboard (GTS) counts non-government investments and commitments for all facets of green markets starting in 2007 to the second quarter of 2011 – totaling $2,405,182,005,199 worldwide. As Hazel Henderson, creator of the GTS, explains in “Good News on Global Green Transition,” the GTS anticipates investments and commitments of $1 trillion annually until 2020, a figure models and studies indicate will accelerate the global green transition.

Compared to the 2010 findings, global investors are slightly off the mark but still building momentum to reach $10 trillion by 2020. In an otherwise flat market, corporate R&D and cleantech M&A are driving much of the green economic growth. “This updated total is noteworthy, as it comes in spite of economic uncertainty,” says Henderson.

Corporate R&D in green transition technologies accounts for over $258 billion of the August GTS number, a notable increase from the $163 billion finding detailed in the Report on the Green Transition Scoreboard February 2011. This jump may reflect greater management awareness of the need for redesigning products and services for increased energy and materials efficiencies – criteria now driving innovation. And reporting standards are improving, as investors demand greater disclosure and governments, such as Japan, publish environmental accounting guidelines.

The R&D number is also significant in light of the above $100 million threshold in GTS research from 2007 to 2010, meaning thousands of R&D projects, with a myriad of novel approaches, remained uncounted. The 2012 report will focus on investments from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) not normally tallied in summaries, and the Ethical Markets research team plans to expand current categories and add new ones, particularly tracking the emergence of companies based on biomimicry of nature’s productive processes.

The August update is the first GTS report to include some R&D under $100 million. “Deals under $100 million, while barely moving a barometer tracking investments in trillions, are significant as they demonstrate how thousands of different companies believe in the economic soundness of greening industries,” says Timothy Nash, lead researcher for the GTS. “These diverse companies are all investing in making systems and products more effective, using less energy and generating less pollution throughout the life-cycle.”

The cost of irresponsibility: Shell and the UNEP Report

 ERA seeks $100bn restoration fund

 

Ken Saro-Wiwa and nine other Ogoni prominent personalities were brutally killed for daring to protest and attract public attention to the level of environmental degradation in their Ogoniland. That is not all, no one knows how many more people have died or are on the waiting list or have been condemned to live with one form of disease or the other as a result of the effects of the environmental pollution in that area. This is all because a corporate organization and a government that is supposed to protect its citizens chose to act irresponsibly.

Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues were killed but that did not end the protest from the people. In fact it was the sustained agitation by the people of Ogoni, that made the Federal Government to request the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to carry out an assessment of environmental contamination and threat to life in the area. Shell partnered with the FG for the exercise by agreeing to provide funding of up to $9.5 million. The result of the assessment recently presented to President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja is alarming.

The result showed hydrocarbon pollution in surface water throughout the creeks of Ogoniland and up to 8cm in groundwater that feed drinking wells at 41 sites including a serious case in Nisisioken Ogale in Eleme, Rivers State. This was reportedly linked to an oil spill which occurred more than six years ago.

Soils were found to have been polluted with hydrocarbons up to a depth of five metres in 49 observed sites, while, benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical was found in drinking water at a level 900 times above World Health Organisation (WHO) acceptable levels. The report also documented that fisheries have been destroyed and that wetlands around Ogoniland are highly degraded and facing degradation.

It adds that the Ogoni community is exposed to hydrocarbons every day through multiple routes. While the impact of individual contaminated land sites tends to be localised, air pollution related to oil industry operations is all pervasive and affecting the quality of life of close to one million people.

The report also observes that control and maintenance of oilfield infrastructure in Ogoniland has been inadequate with the Shell Petroleum Development Company failing to comply with its own procedures, thus creating public health and safety issues.

It also states that fire outbreak usually follows an oil spill with the fire often resulting in the burning of vegetation and creating a crust over the land, making remediation or re-vegetation difficult.

The report then suggests that while clean up in the area could take five years through a combination of approaches, the restoration of heavily-impacted mangrove stands and swamplands might take up to 30 years.

The report went further to say that environmental restoration of Ogoniland could prove to be the world’s most wide-ranging and long term oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken if contaminated drinking water, land, creeks and important ecosystems such as mangroves are to be brought back to full, productive health.

In a swift reaction, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) called for the creation of a $100 billion Environmental Restoration Fund for the Niger Delta.

ERA/FoEN, which welcomed the report, said that the environmental assessment of Ogoniland, despite its short comings, had not only vindicated its worst fears about the state of the environment in Ogoniland and the entire Niger Delta, but also showed “Shell’s atrocious breach of minimum requirements of the Environmental Guidelines and Standards for Petroleum Industries in Nigeria (EGASPIN) and its own standards.”

Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, ERA/FoEN executive director, said, “The UNEP assessment with documented evidence of widespread pollution in Ogoniland is not at all surprising. It has only vindicated our position that Shell, and not the people, is wholly responsible for this environmental assault and has shown with brazen contempt that it will not abide by any internationally accepted standards in the oil industry nor any that it set for itself.

“Going by the findings, the Ogoni people who, ironically, are still living with this ecological disaster may never have the right to an environment that can allow them develop as they desire. Not even the paltry sum recommended for remediation can assuage the dislocation that Shell’s activity has wrought on them.”

Bassey insisted that $1 billion initial restoration fund was negligible compared with the mammoth ecological disaster caused by Shell, even as he urged the Nigerian government to immediately compel the company to halt other ongoing pollution such as routine gas flares in the Niger Delta and the leaking pipes that continually pollute streams, rivers and farmlands.

He noted that ERA’s demand for $100 billion in remediation funds was hinged on the fact that aside Ogoniland, Shell’s ecological onslaught was replicated in other Niger Delta communities that must also be considered for a comprehensive environmental audit.

ERA/FoEN boss insisted: ““We again reiterate our opposition to Shell resuming oil exploration in Ogoniland. The Ogoni people and indeed the entire Niger Delta people demand an apology from Shell and insist the company must not only halt its unfriendly environmental practices, but must also take full responsibility for the clean up and compensate the people.

“Aside this, we demand that only genuine community representatives be allowed as members of the proposed Ogoniland Environmental Restoration Authority to forestall any attempt by Shell to dodge responsibility. Anything short of this is untenable”, he stressed.

CSR: The Cowbell example

 

The global economic recession has forced many world class companies into bankruptcy. Those that are still surviving are adopting various cost cutting strategies including cutting down on what they give back to their host communities to remain afloat. To many of them, cutting down on their corporate social responsibility investments is a painful decision, but they had to take it if they must remain in business.

Promasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of Cowbell Milk at a point was faced with that hard decision as it relates to its sponsorship of the annual National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition (Nassmac), a project it initiated in 1998 to encourage the study of mathematics in Nigeria in view of its strategic importance in the social-economic and technological development of the country. However, according to Mr. Keith Richards, managing director of the company, the competition has become so popular among Nigerian secondary school students “that it would be a heavy blow on the psyche of these youngsters if it is not sustained.”

 

How it all started

Thinking of what to give back to the society, especially the children for their patronage of its flagship brand, the Cowbell Milk, Promasidor decided to institute a mathematics competition that will encourage intellectual development consistent with its brand promise of bright kids with sharp brains.

To that effect, Cowbell began the sponsorship of the mathematics competition in 1998 initially for schools in Lagos State. Its acceptance by school authorities, parents as well as the students themselves encouraged the brand to expand the scope to include schools in five other states, Anambra, Kaduna , Plateau States in 1999 while Oyo and Imo States joined in 2000 and by 2001, the competition has become a national affair. The competition is in both senior and junior categories. Only the best two students in each state and Abuja, one from senior and one from junior qualify to go for the national contest that will produce the eventual 20 students, 10 from each category that will go to Abuja for the award ceremony. That has been the number for the past 10 years, but this year, the 11^th year, number was increased to 30 that is, 15 from each category.

From a mere 50 examination centres at the inception, the examination now holds in over 200 centres across the nation and from just over 4455 participating schools, the number has jumped to over 11,000 schools. To further underscore the popularity of the competition, the number of students participating has also jumped from 15,000 to 34,000 that is not including students that participated in their schools selection test.

 

Impact

Initiated with the objectives to awaken consciousness and interest in mathematics among secondary school students, improve the performance in Mathematics in Nigeria, create a credible platform for identifying outstanding students and encourage them, redress the myth that mathematics is a very difficult subject to pass and assist schools in equipping their classrooms and libraries as well as provide financial assistance to benefiting schools and students, the competition has been able to live up to these objectives as has been attested to by officials of federal and state ministries of education, parents and West African Examinations Council (Waec) which conducts senior school certificate examination for secondary schools in Nigeria.

According to the examination body, there has been a remarkable improvement in the performance of students in mathematics in the last eight years. For instance, it was noted that credit passes in Mathematics in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) has grown by 47 per cent while failure rate has dropped by 24 per cent between 2002 and 2010.

This Waec authorities say can be attributed to the high level of sustained interest and awareness Nassmac and other related programmes have generated over the years in the area of Mathematics.

The National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, through its director general, Professor Sam Ale also attests to the fact that cowbell champions fall into the 10 best competitors in mathematics competitions at the international level adding that since 2006, the medals from international competition were won by students who participated in Nassmac.

Federal and State Government endorsement

Since the competition became a national affair, both federal and state ministries of education have been actively involved in making sure that the programme is sustained. This is because the competition is no longer seen as a Cowbell affair but a national project that is actually addressing the basic need of Nigeria as a nation. This obviously explains the strong involvement of the National Mathematical Centre (NMC) Abuja, a Federal Government agency set up to promote the study and research in mathematical sciences, in the activities of Nassmac. Presently, winners in Nassmac are prepared by the NMC to represent Nigeria in both African and world Mathematics Olympiad.

Each year at the awards ceremony, the Federal Ministry of Education is fully represented either by the minister or a representative.

At the state level, state ministries of education participate actively in ensuring that all schools in their state participate, they also provide the personnel that conduct the first stage examination.

 

Position of parents, teachers

It is interesting to note that the excitement and interest generated by the competition, is now making parents to personally get involved in preparing their children for the competition and even follow them to the exam centre to provide them moral support.
Pharm. Udekpe Ekpo, head of National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac) in Enugu State followed his child all the way to Abuja to be part of the celebrations as his son received his award as one of the winners.

Speaking in an interview Ekpo said, “It is quite nice to be here today. The children are excited, the parents are excited too. We are happy that we have gone this far because this type of attitude towards education makes any parent proud. We are very happy, but I am saddened because as I sit here watching the proceedings, all the schools and children that are winning medals here are all from the private schools. What happened to the public schools? That means that if it was so in our days, some of us wouldn’t have had any opportunity to see the limelight. The public schools are completely dead. We are quite happy that Cowbell is putting up this, it is a lot of encouragement and push to these children to attain greater heights but our government has to wake up. They have to wake up to their responsibilities.”

For Professor M.A.C Aghaji, parent of one of the award winners, the competition is well organised and is very important in this country. “As you know, science and Mathematics education is the way to go. I am particularly happy that Cowbell is doing this and I wish other companies will take the cue so that we can train up these children. We all know now that the world has become a global village and it is what you arm the children with that will determine the extent they can compete.”

Pastor Jarlath Unuegbu is the father of the winner of the 2009 senior category. He says the cash reward and gift to winners in the competition is a big motivator, moral booster as well as an incentive that encourages the young people to take the subject of Mathematics more seriously. “Personally, I have seen that my son’s participation right from the junior category has motivated him to study harder in Mathematics and his performance in the subject has improved tremendously.

“I want to appreciate and encourage Promasidor, the makers of Cowbell brand of milk, organisers of the competition, for what they have done so far in this country, having motivated our children to get more interested in Mathematics. There was a time in this country when interest in the subject was going down until this competition came on stream and the interest has now come up again. Young people are now interested in Mathematics and they are looking up to this competition. My son is always studying.”
Mr. Arawonde Okanaye, teacher at Loyola Jesuit College Abuja whose students have always made it to the national awards said he is very proud of what Cowbell is doing. “There is no doubt that this competition has imparted positively on the performance of students in Mathematics. For instance in my own school when we were organising test to select those to represent the school, it was keenly contested and at the end of the day, we were able to identify 20 students who were within the same category in terms of performance in the subject. They were further screened before we were able to select 4 who are here today and two emerged winners, one in the senior category and the other in the junior category.”
Group Captain Essien (rtd) the proprietor of Graceland International School in Port Harcourt whose school was participating for the first time in 2009 and emerged champions in the junior category and the student again emerged third in the senior category in 2011, said, “We had difficulty choosing our representatives. Many of them wanted to take part in the competition and we had to conduct a series of tests before we selected the four that represented the school. That is to show the kind of excitement this competition is generating among students and that is making them to take their mathematics very seriously. That is the kind of thing we need in this country, not only for mathematics but in all subjects. I want to use this opportunity to thank the organisers of this competition. It is really one of the best competitions that I have seen in Nigeria. It is very fair, accurate and transparent. When we marked our papers, the same mark we had, is the same they have given to us. I just pray that other companies will emulate the good example of Cowbell.”
Highly elated by her son’s performance, Mrs. Celine Nwokotubo, mother of winner of Junior Category in 2009 who also finished third in the senior category in 2011, could not hide her joy as she pours encomiums on Cowbell. She thanked Cowbell for what she called ‘a patriotic’ duty the brand is doing in the country. According to her, “This competition has helped many students to improve in their academic performance especially in Mathematics. I am very grateful to Cowbell because my family has greatly benefited from their generosity right from when my boy was in the primary school. He normally came home with packages from Cowbell milk each year for almost four years of his primary education. He was so motivated and impressed by gifts and other incentives he received from Cowbell and I am very sure that has inspired him to compete in this competition and he is a winner. I must thank Cowbell for this opportunity and I want to encourage them to continue to organise the competition as a socially responsible corporate organisation.”

 

Prizes

A part from the positive impact of academic excellence this competition is meant to create in the students, the winners also go home with mouth watering gifts. For example, the first three position winners in the first stage from both the senior and junior categories will go home with N25,000, N20,000 and N15,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively,

in addition to branded materials and products of the company while the mathematics teacher of each of the first price winners in all the states and Abuja will receive N15,000 each for their effort.

The prize gets higher at the second stage where the first prize winner in the junior category gets N250,000 cash,  a laptop, a trophy, a medal, a certificate as well as other branded gift items and products. The second winners gets  N200,000 plus laptop, a medal, a certificate as well as other branded gift items and products while the third position winner gets N150,000, laptop, a medal, a certificate as well as other branded gift items and products.

In the senior category, the winner gets N300,000 cash, a laptop, a trophy, a medal, a certificate as well as other branded gift items and products, the second position winner gets N250,000 plus laptop, a medal, a certificate as well as other branded gift items and products while the third position winner gets N200,000, laptop, a medal, a certificate as well as other branded gift items and products.

The remaining finalists were also rewarded with N15,000, laptop, a medal and plaque each, while their teachers were rewarded with N15,000 each.

There is alsothe Benson Oweka Memorial Prize, which goes to the school with the most consistent outstanding performance average over the last three years. The school goes home with a full Multi-media Computer, UPS and Printer.

 

 

 

UNFORGETABLETESTIMONIALS

 

“Before I eventually won in 2004, I had participated in the junior category but I did not even find myself among the first 10. But I decided to put more effort and in 2004, I won in the senior category. Today, I am studying Medicine. If you know Mathematics, everything becomes easier. Mathematics will help you in all areas, not only in Engineering. I am a living testimony; Cowbell has done it in my life.”

 

Words of Adaeze Margaret Ezeani, who is currently an undergraduate at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

 

We are very happy, but I am saddened because as I sit here watching the proceedings, all the schools and children that are winning medals here are all from the private schools. What happened to the public schools? That means that if it was so in our days, some of us wouldn’t have had any opportunity to see the limelight. The public schools are completely dead. We are quite happy that Cowbell is putting up this, it is a lot of encouragement and push to these children to attain greater heights but our government has to wake up. They have to wake up to their responsibilities.”

 

Pharm. Udekpe Ekpo, head of National Agency for Foods and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac) in Enugu State

 

“Personally, I have seen that my son’s participation right from the junior category has motivated him to study harder in Mathematics and his performance in the subject has improved tremendously.

“I want to appreciate and encourage Promasidor, the makers of Cowbell brand of milk, organisers of the competition, for what they have done so far in this country, having motivated our children to get more interested in Mathematics. There was a time in this country when interest in the subject was going down until this competition came on stream and the interest has now come up again. Young people are now interested in Mathematics and they are looking up to this competition. My son is always studying.”

 

Pastor Jarlath Unuegbu, father of the 2009 winner, Tobuechukwu C. Onuegbu

 

“There is no doubt that this competition has imparted positively on the performance of students in Mathematics. For instance in my own school when we were organising test to select those to represent the school, it was keenly contested and at the end of the day, we were able to identify 20 students who were within the same category in terms of performance in the subject. They were further screened before we were able to select 4 who are here today and two emerged winners, one in the senior category and the other in the junior category.”

Mr. Arawonde Okanaye, teacher at Loyola Jesuit College Abuja

 

“We had difficulty choosing our representatives. Many of them wanted to take part in the competition and we had to conduct a series of tests before we selected the four that represented the school. That is to show the kind of excitement this competition is generating among students and that is making them to take their mathematics very seriously. That is the kind of thing we need in this country, not only for mathematics but in all subjects. It is really one of the best competitions that I have seen in Nigeria. It is very fair, accurate and transparent. When we marked our papers, the same mark we had, is the same they have given to us. I just pray that other companies will emulate the good example of Cowbell.”

 

Group Captain Essien (rtd) the proprietor of Graceland International School in Port Harcourt

 

 

 

 

PAST WINNERS

 

2001:

Junior Category:

Senior Category: Rabiu Momoh from Iganmode Grammar School, Ota, Ogun State

 

2002:

Junior Category: POPOOLA, Oladele Adedamola of Layola Jesuit College, Abuja

Senior Category:

 

2003

Junior Category:

Senior Category:

 

2004

Junior Category: Mary Ann Juma of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja

Senior Category: Olisa Okonkwo of Federal Government College, Enugu

 

Adaeze Margaret Ezeani of Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Port Harcourt,

 

 

2005

Junior Category: Mbanaja C. Stanley of Pacesetters International College, Oyigbo, Rivers State,

Senior Category: Obiukwu Obinna Michael of Federal Government College, Nise, Anambra State

 

2006

Junior Category:

Senior Category: Ezeaka Chidubem of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja

 

2007:

Junior Category: Ogbuagu Joy Chinasa of Federal Government Girls College Onitsha

Senior Category: Mobolaji Tunde James of Iwa Community Grammar School, Ayetoro, Oke-ho, Oyo State.

 

Sanni Abdulmusawwir , from Total Academy Ota, Ogun State, on Thursday, emerged the overall winner of the 2007 Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition in the senior category.

Also, 13-year-old Sule Ugbade, from the Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Niger State, emerged winner in the junior category.

 

2008

Junior Category: Precious Ime of Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary, School, Port Harcourt,

Senior Category: Bolaji Oluwatosin Ajaka of College of Education Demonstration School, Ikere-Ekiti.

 

 

 

2009

Junior category: Nwokotubo Charles of Graceland International school, Port Harcourt

Senior category: Tobuechukwu C. Onuegbu, of Charismatic Renewal Ministry, International College, Owerri

 

2010

Junior Category: Princess Jewel-Essien of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja

Senior Category: Ogundijo Victor of Federal Government College Suleja, Niger State

 

 

2011:

Junior Category: Momoh Abdulrazaq of Charles Dale Memorial International School, Rivers state

Senior: Nurein Oyetobi Akindele, from Iganmode Grammar School Ota, Ogun State.

‘Many big companies in Nigeria don’t have green footprints’

Ken Egbas, managing partner, TruContact Communications Limited pioneered CSR awards in Nigeria when his company introduced the Social Enterprise Report and Awards (SERA) in 2007. Five years down the line, SERA has become the most prestigious CSR award in Nigeria. Within the period, Ken has also become so deeply involved in issues of CSR that he now provides training for professional CSR practice in Nigeria. In this interview with CSRWATCH International, he talks about the going green concept, the position of Nigeria and Nigerian organizations with regards to that concept and the opportunities going green offers Nigeria and Africa.

 

The concept

Going green is a concept of doing business for today while putting your eyes on the future in terms of sustainability. This is because if we continue to exploit the earth the way we are currently doing, in the next 20 years or so, people say, we might need two planets because our planet as it is may not be able to sustain life any more.

The thing about going green is sometime that may look challenging for quite a number of brands because they fear what the likely consequences might be. Organizations that are in manufacturing are thinking for instance ‘if we change our boilers from the ones that are driven by turbines to the ones that are driven by solar, that is going to lead to another cost of changing our whole system. They are talking like that because most of them are thinking in the short term, but in the long term, reverting back to nature for assistance in terms of production will only make the world better and the cost of production or what we call the conversion process safer and cheaper.

 

Specific steps

Right now every organization should be looking at going green because that is the future. The innovative companies are already doing so and that is why they will remain the market leaders, they set the trend. If you look at the global market right now from America to Europe where most of these trends take root, you find out that most of these organizations are looking at how to manufacture products that can stand the test of time. You hear words like bio-degradable, these are materials that as they begin to wear out they don’t cause harm to the environment. Look at a company like Puma trying to manufacture shoes that last for longer period than the ones you use just for one season and you have to throw them away and buy another one. I’m seeing organizations designing products based on what nature does. I read something recently about a carpet manufacturing company that has been thinking of how to go green and they wanted to start doing things that agrees with nature. So they went and studied the bird of the sea. They sent their researchers into the environment to study how nature arranges its thing. They came with some of those pictures and designed a carpet that is almost natural. That single product alone moved them to a level of profit they had not made in 25 years. That shows you that the going green concept is also a platform for innovation. It gives companies opportunity to look at their services or their products and see how they can weave the green movement into it.

The thing about the green movement also is that anybody who doesn’t get on the train is going to be crushed by it because that is the future of business.

 

 

 

Nigerian experience, painting houses green

That is not what we are talking about. But from an innovative point of view, maybe when they colour their buildings green, they will begin to think of doing things that are green in the way they do their business. Definitely, the green is not in the colour of the paint. Even if we are looking at the colour of the paint what material did you use to produce the paint? Are they materials that are environmentally friendly or are they those that produce fumes that are toxic to human beings? There is a new way of making paint now to produce paints that are not harmful to humans. Is that the type of paint they are using? So it is not the issue of painting houses. What organizations need to do is to think of going green from a strategic point of view. The problem with Nigerian businesses is that when a brand begins to do something other brands begins to mirror it without understanding why and that is why at the end you have a bandwagon effect with no effect whatsoever on the company’s bottom-line.

We really need to get serious with this issue of going green because it is the way to go right now and it will become the bedrock for innovation in the future. This is because the way businesses are going now is that you have to study nature to get something out of it. Imagine a world economy without air, without water or without the nutrients that are under the ground or without trees that produces oxygen, just imagine that. It shows you that going into the future we have to do a lot of studying of the nature and try to borrow from her what we need for the future. How do I mean? Look at solar for example, in America now they are converting most of their energy sources to a more efficient and cheaper means, they are going solar, they have wind harvesters so that from wind alone you can provide energy that run cities and it is cheaper, the maintenance is cheaper and there are no fumes or noise, it is just energy from nature. Our brands need to begin to look at it from that perspective. When you are thinking innovation, you must think strategic innovation and one of the ways of thinking strategic innovation is to look at it from the perspective of going green and sustainability.

 

Challenges of Nigerian organizations

The first challenge I think Nigerian businesses are facing is that of understanding, because if you are going to imbibe new concept, the first thing to do is to find out how that concept works with you and that is where they have issues as we speak. In this year’s Social Enterprise Report and Awards (SERA), our theme is: ‘Leading Change: Building Competitive and Green Ground’ that is because we are championing this promotion of sustainability in businesses.

Look at it, out of the over 60 entries we received this year for SERA award, it is only about 40 per cent of them that are doing things that have semblance of going green. In fact you will be shocked that some of the biggest brands don’t even have any green footprint in the things that they do, you will also be shocked that quite a number of organizations in the extractive industry who you expect will be hit more by this bug of going green don’t even have any green footprint and the reason is understood. Most of these extractive companies are multinationals who have their headquarters in locations where these issues of environmental pollution are not prevalent, so they design their strategies from the headquarters and come to implement without a clear idea of the situation on ground.

Nigerian businesses have to learn and it has to do with openness because the thing about sustainability is openness, you talk about going green, you talk about sustainability, you talk about transparency and good governance, it is a progression. The moment you begin to think going green, it means that you are working towards being a company interested in opening up your system for scrutiny, come and see how we do things here, we do things in a quality way, we care about the environment, we care about the future, we are not just sucking the oil out of the ground and leaving everything hollow, we are not just interested in the oil and destroying the environment and the livelihood and the waters, the lakes and the rivers, the air and other means of livelihood for the community. We are doing business in such a way that the community would prosper.

Companies need to begin to do business in line with this concept and when they begin to do that, there will be a drastic shift in paradigm. I have had opportunity of interacting with a lot of people who have worked in sustainability and CSR globally and I make very bold to say CSR has reached its end in America and Europe, the next 25 to 30 years the best practices and innovation in CSR will come from the African continent. The reason is simple, Africa is still looked upon as the disadvantaged continent, we have all the myriad of problems from hunger to girl-child education, diseases, maternal mortality, every kind of thing and when you look at the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), you discover that Africa represents about 70 per cent of the reason why those goals were set. What does this tell you? Even though it looks like a problem, I think it creates an opportunity for corporations to be part of the solution of Africa and use all their strategies to sit down and not just think about how the company can make profit, but to think of how to make the communities to prosper while making profit.

When organizations begin to understand that all these problems present an opportunity for us to push our brands further into the hearts of the people, they will sit down and approach this idea of going green from a very totally different perspective. That is why I am very confident to say that every innovation now, the world will look the way of Africa. So this is the best time for our organizations to begin to do something that will position them to take advantage of these innovations. But they will not be able to jump onto that bandwagon until they understand the concept of going green and sustainability and how it affects transparency and corporate governance.

 

Everybody has a role to play

Going green is not a problem for only corporate organizations. As a matter of fact, I think there should be a way of  getting even smaller organizations involved in CSR and sustainability or going green. That is why this year our focal area in SERA is on small and medium enterprises. The way CSR has been portrayed, it looks like something that only big organizations are capable of doing. That is not true, even in a small office where you have 20 people working, how do you imbibe within members of your staff the issues of saving energy, how do we keep our environment worker friendly, how do we bring elements of nature into the office, how do we ensure that the work that we do, that people know us for can be expressed down the road on the street or maybe in an orphanage as something that has the DNA of our brand and why we are in business?

So it is important that you get small organizations to do that because if you watch very well, small organizations and big organizations go into one circle. These days, in Europe for example, when you are looking at measuring values of corporate social responsibility, they are even looking at suppliers and contractors. They are not just looking at you as a big company, they also look at the third party who supply your raw materials and those are the small and medium companies.

So I believe the best way to go is to get everybody involved so that organizations no matter how small will be conscious of doing something that protects the natural environment. The big organizations can help by insisting on certain standards. They can be asking questions like, ‘what are your views on safety of workers’ and things like that. That way, they will be serving as mentors for these smaller organizations. What we need really is a platform for engagement so that the ideas can be moved properly down the line.

 

Role of government agencies

It is a very sad fact that the government agencies that are in charge of the environment are not making any effort to enlighten the people or create awareness on issues relating to going green. But I think our problem is that we put politicians into technical positions and they know little to nothing about what they are supposed to be doing. That is simply because here we are always thinking about now, nobody is thinking about the future. When you have people in position who do not understand what the global trends are, they definitely will not know what the world is talking about.

I expect the minister for environment to be the one driving this campaign right now because the idea of going green should be the function of the ministry of the environment. But we don’t have that at the moment. If you look at the efforts of people in the private sector, they have to be applauded because they have brought this issue from the back burner to the front burner. All I can say is let those who are involved in this movement continue. Let them keep talking about it until it will get to a point where the government will find it embarrassing to stay out of it, then they will have no option than to join. You see, those of us in the green movement pressure group can make all the noise, but it is government that can actually take some policy decisions that can make these multinationals to do the right thing. There was a time when the Lagos State government accused a Chinese textile company in the state of discharging some toxic waste into the canal, everybody shouted but in the end what has happened? I still drive pass that way, all what they have done is to build a culvert to cover the thing from public view, but they are still discharging the waste. Whose responsibility is it in Lagos State to ensure that such a thing is punished?

Beyond taxation and seeing how to make more money, is government really looking at how to preserve life so that when you build good roads people will live long enough to enjoy the facilities you say you are providing?

I am happy to say this, you now see parks springing up here and there in Lagos State. These are places that were abandoned, government is turning them into green parks and people can now walk into such places and have a good time. Those are things government need to bring back into communities not just because it is right, but because it is just to do it.

Government should have a working policy on corporate sustainability and responsibility. How do we reward organizations who are doing this thing well and they are doing it right and of course how do we jump on a platform like SERA so that we make sure that we are promoting the right kind of companies so that other companies behind them can aspire to that same level?

In our tax laws for example we say companies should vote one per cent of their gross profit for CSR. If you meet that and we can see proof that you have done that, is it possible for the tax authorities to grant you tax waiver of 2.5 per cent because of the impact you are making on various communities through your CSR initiatives? I bet you, these companies will jump on that. For me the issue of the bill for CSR works two ways. Legislating CSR might be difficult in itself, but government can legislate on how you use land or how you use water or how a company operate in a community. I have seen that done in Brazil and India and it works.

Government need to jump in the front of this discussion. We might be here talking about sustainability and all the companies doing all they could do, but without the government backing, we are going nowhere because you find some companies because they know somebody in government, they will be doing what they like and that will discourage others that are trying to do the right thing. That is why we need to have people who are knowledgeable enough in positions of authority to make some of these issues go the way that we desire them to go.

 

Investment opportunities

There are lots of opportunities. The thing about going green is about innovation. You have to change how things are being done, you have to change how you produce your product. So it is a massive investment opportunity. The challenge there is that it involves huge costs right now. But any company that is looking at this cost right now is missing the point. The accountant always think about cost as at now, if they can think in the long term, they will see that they are saving a lot of money. Going green is the greatest money saver for organizations that are going into it now in the future. Look at today’s products, for example look at the prepaid electricity metre we are using in some places now, see how people are changing the bulbs they have in the house to energy saving bulbs and they are teaching their children, ‘if you are not using the light don’t put it on. Even when you go to the market to buy an applicance, you are asking, what is the energy consumption level. These are thing no one bothered about before. So there is a behaviourial change already going on, nobody is compelled, but you just have to change because it makes economic sense to do so.

What that also means is that when companies begin to know that consumers are beginning to pay attention to what material is used to manufacture things, they will have no option but to change. For instance, recently Etisalat made a presentation of how they now produce their SIM card from bio-degradable materials, and I thought that was smart. A lot of companies sit back and think, ‘how can we take advantage of this new trend?’ The companies who lead the market, are those companies who are able to put their finger on the pulse of the consumer and be able to feel what they are thinking in their head and through that be able to determine what will sell in the future. An innovation driven company does not sell for today, they sell for the future because they know that the product in high demand today will become a bore tomorrow. So they are constantly thinking of how to create new products that will sustain the interest of the consumer in the company.

Going green is the best platform for innovation because it causes you to think innovation not production. The mindset of most of the companies now is tuned towards production. Going green makes you innovation oriented even though eventually you are going to be producing, you will be attuned to what the new issues are.

Air Pollution: How ‘Asian Dilemma’ took over Nigeria

By Ugochukwu Chimeziri

 

The role of poverty in many aspects of life is a well-documented chronicle which stares the whole world in the face. Poverty has immense contribution to gender imbalance, abuse of rights, inability to access good food, water, healthcare amongst others especially in the third world countries.

This time, poverty has revealed that its tentacles are not shortened in the control of the transport and power systems in some of the third world countries especially experimenting ones of Africa. Nigeria is one or perhaps the only country in Africa housing over 15 million of various versions of 2-stroke engines. The Green Society of Nigeria has said that these messy and easily worn out engines are on every second of the day emitting partially combusted but very dangerous fuel gases to the ecosystem. The damage it metes out to the biodiversity is unquantifiable, Michael Walsh, an independent consultant who advises nations about motor vehicle pollution and control issues said. The global fight against depletion of the ozone layer aimed at protecting the biodiversity would not be complete if this menace described as ‘Asian Dilemma’ by Anumita Roychowdhury, associate director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in India is not addressed immediately in all third world nations of Africa especially Nigeria where these two and three wheeled engines predominate currently.

In Asia where they originated and manufactured, their names were collectively known as Asian Dilemma but when the manufacturing nations saw that that cheap means of transportation were actually very expensive, they decided to re-baptise them for export. On landing in Nigeria, fanciful names like Boxer Bajaj, Jincheng, Suzuki, Qlink, Keke, Napep, Tiger etc were domesticated as our household names. Nobody told Nigeria that these flexible means of transportation and pocket friendly source of power generation were actually technologies from the pits of hell.

Illustrating this challenge in Nigeria, there are three types of 2-stroke engines that dominate the system. The two-wheeled bikes are called ‘Okada’ and the three-wheeled ones are named ‘keke or Napep’. Yet there is another that has claimed so many lives in Nigeria called ‘I pass my neighbour’, a small power generator common in most homes in Nigeria. Nigeria has a more or less totally collapsed power sector and cost of running bigger generators is not friendly to over 100 million pockets in Nigeria due to the fact that many are still living below the poverty line.  The introduction of ‘I pass my neighbour’ was like saying that a messiah has come. Most of these power generators that come from China cost as little as $55-$60 per unit. This pocket-friendliness made their acquisition a-must-have for every home in Nigeria irrespective of how poor the family is since the national power system is better said to be moribund.

This also goes to the nation’s transportation system. This system can better be said to be in shambles as almost all transportation activities in the country are done on the roads rendering severe pressures on the roads. But ‘Okada’ is a wonderful choice for fast and flexible movements within the city of Lagos and other cities that are traffic-jam ridden. The three-wheeler has adequately replaced taxis and so families, friends and associates these days fancy it to cruise in ‘keke Napep’ with dangerous gases emitted behind them as they cruise.  People choose these engines to get around and power their houses because they are cheap, powerful and easy to fix. But in the reverse, the environment and human health are compromised. As cities balloon and populations grow, the number of journeys and two-stroke engines are bound to grow with it if uncontrolled.

Just as was the case in the entire Asia and India-a co-inventor of these engines before 2004, about 75-80% of the traffic constitutes these machines, so is the case in Nigeria today. Due to poverty and inability for most people in the transportation sector to acquire 4 stroke engines for their businesses they go for these pocket friendly 2-strokes which must run by mixing petrol with engine oil. Experts have said that because 2-stroke engines burn petrol-oil mixture, they emit more smoke, more carbon monoxide, more hydrocarbons and more particulate matter than the engines that run on petrol alone. In effect, 2-stroke engines are highly wasteful in the use of fuel. Experts confirmed that up to 40% of the petrol and oil go out of the exhaust pipe not combusted leading to release of more dangerous carbons, nitrogen gas, sulphur, hydrocarbons as well as fine dust- all being much more toxic than the ones emitted by any 4-stroke engine. All these toxic compounds contribute immensely to urban air pollution and depletion of the entire biodiversity.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stressed that these classes of pollution are responsible for air pollution leading to the death of more than half a million people a year. About two-thirds of the residents of Delhi and Calcutta suffered from respiratory symptoms such as common cold and dry and wet cough before the government put pressure to end usage of such vehicles.

Twisha Lahiri, head of neuroendocrinology at India’s Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, largely blames these diseases on two-stroke engine emissions. WHO has also classified that urban pollution ranks 13th greatest contributor to disease burden and death worldwide. On the other hand, Mrs Tokunbo Jakande, executive director, Green Society of Nigeria said that research shows that these classes of emissions contribute immensely to the depletion of the ozone layer faster than would emissions from a 4-stroke engine.

Before the tricycles known as keke Napep in Nigeria are banned in Thailand, it was estimated that one keke is equivalent to 50 cars in terms of gaseous emissions and contributed 47% of pollution particulates in the air.  Today the nation has curtailed on the use of these vehicle. Philippines did same and India has also gone ahead to almost reduce to zero the use of these vehicular mess even though it is still a manufacturer of 2-stroke engine. The proliferation of these engines in Africa’s third world countries should be worrisome. Yes, many local respiratory related deaths are either not investigated or believed to be effects of tobacco smoking; it is becoming evident that most cases linked to tobacco smoking in these countries are actually caused by 2-stroke engine emissions in the air.

There is urgent need to cut down on the use of these engines as Nigeria has pronounced recently but again, for this to be effective, the government must provide an alternative. The snag would be if the Federal Government would have enough political will to tackle this menace which has direct local and global implications on the environment and human. When Bangkok toughened up vehicle inspections and emissions standards in 2000, 2-wheelers were over 96% of the city’s traffic. However, according to Supat Wangwongwatana, deputy director general of Thailand’s Pollution Control Department in March 2004, result show that only 40% was in use with 60% out of the streets.

Nigeria and other African nations would need to also adopt what Philippines did by offering interest free loan for operators of 2-stroke engines to upgrade to 4-stroke. This approach would appear most workable option as it is not easy to fix overnight the nation’s power and transportation systems. When 2-stroke baby taxis were phased out of Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2002, particulate concentrations dropped up to 40%, with carbon monoxide as well as hydrocarbons falling significantly, S.M.A. Bari, director of engineering at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority said.

According to the Federal Government gazette No. 47 of May 17, 2011, “with effect from April 28, 2011, any manufacturer or importer of 2-stroke shall not be allowed to assemble, manufacture or import for use in Nigeria: a two-stroke engine, a motor vehicle that does not have installed or an approved emission reduction technology; Motor vehicles with petrol and diesel engines should meet with emission standards specified in the gazette which is equivalent to Euro III.

This is a laudable move by the Government but that is to one side. Another side to this is the ability to have it enforced fully. According to Engineer Aminu Jalal, Director-General, National Automotive Council, Nigeria is one of the few third world countries that are still using motorbikes with two-stroke engines. He said that even countries that produce it for Nigeria are no longer using them because of the environmental implications.

“India and China have banned two stroke engines since the 1990s and as I speak to you India does not produce two-stroke engines any more for internal use.”

According to him, apart from being environmentally friendly, the four-stroke engines are more fuel efficient, faster and durable. Describing the move to ban the two stroke engine as a welcomed development, but the Act that will establish this is yet to be enacted.

2-stroke engines are the worst polluters still existing with mankind so let the whole world including Nigeria rise against the 2-stroke engines!

What is this going green all about?

By Joseph Chibueze

 

The green revolution is on and the bug is catching on like wild fire. Going green has become one of the most used expressions today — in print, on the air, and repeatedly on the lips of individuals, even those who have little or no idea of what it actually entails.

In Nigeria, many companies have joined the bandwagon by painting their offices green, changing their official letterheads, complimentary cards, their window blinds, their carpets as well as their cars to green colour. As far as they are concerned, they have gone green. This is a practice Dr. Ken Egbas, managing partner, TruContact Communications referred to as not only laughable, but outright off the point and a clear demonstration of ignorance. According to him, “The green is not in the colour.”

When the idea to write on this topic came up at our editorial meeting, it was shocking to observe that even those one thought should know, only have a faint idea of what going green means. In fact a number of the people at the meeting argued that Nigeria is not yet ripe to join the green movement because according to them, going green is not only expensive, it is also technologically demanding.

 

Wrong notion

The thinking of many organizations in Nigeria even those whose parent companies have already gone far with their green products in the western world, is that it is a capital intensive concept which they are not prepared to shoulder, at least not for now. If at all they have to do anything, it is planting trees and grasses around the office and go to town to announce that they have joined the green movement.

 

Meaning

Going green reflects a general environmental philosophy and social consciousness around saving and advancing earth’s natural resources — preserving them overall, but also protecting them for the sake of civilization.

For Egbas, “Going green is simply doing business for today while putting your eyes on the future in terms of sustainability.”

The key word in the whole idea of going green is sustainability, doing things that will ensure that the earth is not rendered unhabitable. Unfortunately in Nigeria, this does not seem to bother many people especially those that are engaged in activities that have serious negative impact on the environment. It will shock a lot of people to know that many companies operating in the country, particularly those in the extractive industry are just going about their business with reckless abandon without any regard for the environment.

Mr. Ufot Udeme, Managing director SO&U Saachi & Saachi, one of the leading advertising agencies in Nigeria while acknowledging that Nigeria is nowhere near the green economy, however said it is not yet too late to wake up. According to him, “I don’t think it is too late for us to imbibe those principles of sustainability but I think the earlier we start the better, if we don’t focus on those practices that will ensure sustainability even at personal level, it will be damaging for us.”

So it is something we should begin to look at more seriously. The reason why many people are looking at the concept of going green as something out of this world is basically because they do not understand the concept. According to Udeme, the reason Nigerian companies are not taking the issue of going green and sustainability serious is partly ignorance “because people tend to believe that we have so many other problems so why encumber ourselves with this one. My belief is that as any company embarks on the journey of anti corruption and integrity in business, it should also do the same thing for the environment, for sustainability. A time will come where if we are not careful we will be swallowed up. The world is focusing on Africa now and when they come, in fact they are already here, and many more will come, the danger we will face if we don’t put in place those rules and principles that will protect us, what we will see in our environment will be worse than what the oil companies have done when it comes to pollution. So we must start now to put those frame works in place to protect our environment,” he said.

 

Anyone can join the green movement

Going green is not all about hi-tech and lots of money in the pocket. In fact if anything it actually encourages innovation and cost saving in the long run. There are some simple steps that can also be taken that do not involve huge costs like fewer lights (bulbs in and on), using mugs not paper cups so that it can be reused over and over, 2-up double sided printing, less printing, making notebooks from scrap paper (of which there is lots), shutting monitors and desk lighting off.

In all types of cars, there are some things that can be done to help aid performance and decrease cost such as carrying less unneeded weight and striving to avoid speeding. Ensuring the car is properly tuned up, checking and replacing air and fuel filters and belts, and keeping tires inflated to recommended pressures also help keep a car running in the most efficient, environmentally friendly way. Evaporative emissions may be saved when avoiding pumping fuel on very hot days, while fuel efficiency may get a slight improvement by going without air conditioning whenever possible. The need for air conditioning to vacate really hot air from a parked car’s interior can be reduced by parking in the shade or using a windshield cover to help deflect heat, thus lessening heat build-up, Carpooling, combining multiple errands into single trips and taking public transportation.

In some advanced economies it is even suggested that people should engage in what is called Telecommuting (that is working at home and using the internet or other electronic device to link a central office), if one can handle it, as it saves substantially on pollution and cost, and more companies are offering this as an option. A company can also consider staggering work hours to avoid traffic congestion. If possible, walk, cycle, or use public transportation to get to work. Businesses can take advantage of natural light by installing solar panels. Garages can be rigged accordingly, and some car owners are even using solar power to charge their cars overnight. Some who wash their cars at home do so as a two-fold answer to conserving water as well as watering the yard; they simply park it on the lawn during a wash for less runoff. These are all simple ways of saving energy and reducing toxic emission into the environment.

But is it not surprising that simple as some of these steps are, organizations operating in this country are not thinking of them, instead their mind is focused on the more difficult ones like researching into manufacturing green products and changing their production lines to accommodate the new line of products.

What many organizations in this country have failed to realise, which is why they are still not bothered about the going green initiative, is that very soon as consumers become more aware of the need for sustainability, they will only be patronizing organizations that have proved to them that sustainability is an integral part of their business strategy. According to Udeme, “Saachi and Saachi has a unit called sustainability and they have shown that driving for sustainability can be rewarding in itself. In the western world where it has become a critical issue consumers are very conscious of what companies they deal with. You would want to buy goods from a company that you know is committed to ensuring that your great grand children have an earth they can live in. For the consumers, every good they buy from a company that is committed to sustainability is an investment, and what that means is that such companies will get more patronage.”

 

BOX THIS

Why to Go Green: By the Numbers

• 1 pound per hour: the amount of carbon dioxide that is saved from entering the atmosphere for every kilowatt-hour of renewable energy produced.
• 60 percent: the reduction in developmental problems in children in China who were born after a coal-burning power plant closed in 2006.
• 35 percent: the amount of coal’s energy that is actually converted to electricity in a coal-burning power plant. The other two-thirds is lost to heat.
• 2.5 percent: the percentage of humans’ carbon dioxide emission produced by air travel now, still making it the largest transportation-related greenhouse gas emitter.
• 5 percent: the percentage of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions expected to be produced by air travel by the year 2050.
• 1.5 acres: the amount of rainforest lost every second to land development and deforestation, with tremendous losses to habitat and biodiversity.
• 137: the number of plant, animal and insect species lost every day to rainforest deforestation, equating to roughly 50,000 species per year.
• 4 pounds, 6 ounces: the amount of cosmetics that can be absorbed through the skin of a woman who wears makeup every day, over the period of one year.
• 61 percent: the percentage of women’s lipstick, out of the 33 tested, found to contain lead in a test by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
• 95 percent: the amount of energy saved by recycling an aluminum can versus creating the can from virgin aluminum. That means you can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one can out of new material. Energy savings in one year alone are enough to light a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years.
• 113,204: the number, on average, of aluminum cans recycled each minute of each day.
• 3: the number of hours a television set can run on the energy saved from recycling just one aluminum can.
• 40 percent: the percentage of energy saved by recycling newsprint over producing it from virgin materials.

Sources: Consumer Reports, Environmental Health Perspectives, Raintree Nutrition, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EPA Water and EPA Recycling, Worldwatch Institute, Energy Information Administration, Ready, Set, Green, Earth911.org, The Telegraph, Yahoo! News

Ask Nigeria’s President What Happened to $4 Million

Join Social Media Campaign to Save Lives

December 6, 2012

• 
  A young boy sits on a stack of ore sacks in the mining processing site in Bagega village.
  © 2011 Marcus Bleasdale/VII for Human Rights Watch

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Nigeria: Show Commitment on Child Lead Poisoning

Nigeria: Child Lead Poisoning Crisis

Lead poisoning in Zamfara State, Nigeria, has taken the lives of over 400 children and left thousands more with permanent life-long disability. In May, President Goodluck Jonathan pledged $4 million to clean up the lead contamination. Today, that money is nowhere to be found, and thousands of children remain at risk of death and disability.

Cleanup of the contaminated village Bagega, which is home to 8,000 residents, must begin by January to ensure completion by the rainy season. If President Jonathan makes good on his promise and releases the funds immediately, the cleanup can still happen and lives will be saved. If not, more children will be lost to this preventable tragedy.

Add your voice to those asking President Jonathan to release the money.

·         Visit his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/jonathangoodluck) and comment on his last status update with the following message:

President Jonathan, why won’t you release the money you promised in May to clean up poisonous lead in Zamfara? Children are dying and your government’s failure to act is putting more children at risk.

·         Share this page on your wall and invite your friends to participate.

·         Sign the petition on behalf of approximately 1,500 lead poisoned children who are awaiting urgent medical treatment in Bagega, Nigeria.