Nairobi – Tree planting efforts on the public holiday declared by the Kenyan government received a boost with the participation of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Kenya.

The company marked the day by planting a total of 4,645 indigenous seedlings in Embakasi, Umoja, Molo, Eldoret, Nyeri and Kisumu as part of its contribution to rehabilitating key water catchment areas in the country.

James Bowmaker, Managing Director at CCBA in Kenya, says the company’s support for tree-planting initiatives is an integral component of CCBA in Kenya’s broader mission to support water replenishment efforts.

Over the past three years, CCBA in Kenya has been actively engaged in reforesting 90 hectares of critical forests that play a significant role in Nairobi’s water catchment areas in collaboration with implementing partner, Nature Kenya.

“At CCBA, we are leading the industry in making our value chain increasingly sustainable in the way that we manufacture our products, how we distribute them and how we sell them.

“We have the scale and reach to make a real difference, and we’re using our leadership position to drive change and help put our planet on a more sustainable path,” Bowmaker said.

“Water is a priority for CCBA because it is vital to our business and critical to public health, food security, and biodiversity. We have a responsibility to protect local water resources and help build community climate resilience.

“As part of the Coca-Cola system, our 2030 water strategy is accelerating the actions needed to increase water security where we operate, source ingredients and touch people’s lives.

“We are focused on good water stewardship, starting within our operations, and extending to the communities where we work. We invest in initiatives to reduce the amount of water used in producing beverages, and to treat and reuse water where possible. We also work to preserve nature and biodiversity, and promote advanced water management practices.

“We are continually assessing our priority watersheds and engaging local stakeholders to devise integrated plans for partnership and collective action,” said Bowmaker.

*Update* On December 2, 2024, The Coca-Cola Company announced updated voluntary environmental goals. Read more here: The Coca-Cola Company Evolves Voluntary Environmental Goals