KCB donates 8000 tree seedlings inaugural green day
KCB Bank Kenya has contributed 8,000 tree seedlings for planting during the launch of the country’s maiden green holiday at
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Climate
Why we need trees
Trees, those towering giants and humble saplings alike, are Earth’s natural guardians against the relentless surge of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. In the intricate dance of our country and planet’s delicate ecosystems, trees stand as silent giants, wielding an extraordinary power that often goes unnoticed: they are nature’s carbon sinks. As Kenya recovers from the effects of the worst drought in a-half-a-century, the perils of climate change are forcing the government to embark on an ambitious target, planting 15 billion trees by 2032. The exercise, which has seen the country declare a public holiday today, 13th November 2023, comes just months after world leaders…
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Burn turning carbon credit into clean cookstoves
I have never met a worker so enamored with their employer the way Brian is. He shakes his head the way a Kenyan does while telling you something is out of the ordinary, and says ‘those guys’, meaning Burn; the makers of popular ecofriendly cook stove Jikokoa are the best place he has ever worked. He said, he had been there two years and he has never imagined working anywhere else since. I had agreed to visit Burn factory because they had sent out an invitation for a tour ‘the worlds largest clean cookstove manufacturer and cookstove carbon project developer, based in Nairobi’ on the…
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Kenya is ready for a deposit return scheme
I remember as a child my father used to keep a crate of soda bottles in a store somewhere waiting for Christmas celebration or when one of us excelled in school where we would be treated to the sugar rush. On such occasions we would dig out the dusty bottles, clean them of cockroach limbs that had died on a mission impossible to enjoy the sugar stuck at the glass bottom before we returned them to the shopkeeper. Failure to which we had to deposit Kes10 until we returned the bottle. However, today with the rise of convenient plastic, it has become easier to buy a
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The company taking out 3 percent of Nairobi’s trash
Within the shadows of our present day society, a hidden menace looms large: WASTE. The aftermath of unchecked consumption coupled with inadequate waste management keeps growing towering mountains of garbage in informal areas such as Dandora’s dumpsite and Mathare seeping back into our ecosystems via our city’s rivers. Even though Kenya banned single-use plastics in 2017, plenty of merchandise packaging, used clothing, straws, and food-grade plastics are moving between our houses and landfills. Sometimes, they find their way back onto our table tops as recycled materials. Earlier on this year, an orange coloured lorry with modified containers labeled “Taka Taka Solutions” would have passed me
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Privatizing Thirst
Life on earth would not be possible without water. An estimated 71 percent of our planet is covered by water, circulating in a beautifully engineered never ending cycle to preserve life on earth. Unfortunately, by the end of this decade, 2030, experts say our planet will not have enough drinking water. The demand for water is set to transcend supply by 40 percent, leaving us with a crisis at hand by the end of the decade. Climate change has disrupted the natural water cycle and in turn balance of our main water sources such as rain, oceans and glaciers. It has brought about rising sea levels,
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Travelling with trash
A pile of various coloured trash is laid out almost every day outside the gates of estates in major cities, waiting for what would be their final destination. Almost always, the rumble of dirt trucks is preceded by the foul smell, and often more than two young men hang dangerously on the sides before they hop out, pick trash up, and methodically swing it up in the air and into the trucks where they land. Trash bags bursting at the seams with the most basic home essentials such as milk cartons, leftover food, bottles, torn clothes or old electronics are sent off to their trash
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Green energy transition for a healthier planet
As the world grapples with the increasingly urgent challenges posed by climate change, the call for a full-scale transition to green energy has never been more pronounced. Kenya, taking a proactive stance, is embracing renewable energy sources at an unprecedented pace. From solar and geothermal to wind power and electric mobility, both governmental entities and individual households are making the switch to renewables, yielding promising results despite the initial investment costs. Kenya’s urban and rural landscapes are now adorned with solar panels atop rooftops, signaling a country in the midst of a green energy revolution. These solar installations power homes, factories, malls, and even petrol
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The making of an eco-friendlier tech industry
Just a few years ago, supply chains were all about getting things done quickly and efficiently. But times have changed. Now, companies are thinking about new challenges, such as the risks linked to climate change, and the urgent need to cut down on carbon emissions. This shift is happening because customers, investors, and employees are all pushing for more transparency and accountability when it comes to sustainability across industries. For telco giant Safaricom, this emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices is not just staying within the company walls; it’s spreading fast into their entire supply chain system. Carbon footprints “We are intentionally working
Read MoreMasdar leads UAE investments in Africa’s Green Growth
In a plan to accelerate the adoption of clean energy in Africa, UAE renewable energy giant Masdar has forged a strategic partnership on the continent. Masdar has partnered with Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform to identify, fast-track, and scale clean energy projects across the continent. By combining Masdar’s technical expertise and experience in the emerging markets with Africa50’s project development track record, this alliance will speed up growth in the clean energy sector. The partnership will bridge the infrastructure funding gap, rallying both public and private finances to unlock Africa’s immense clean energy potential. Masdar in Africa The initiative will bring together a coalition
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