Nairobi – The seeds of a greener future have been sewn on the banks of the Sasumua Dam with the planting of 2,500 indigenous trees in a partnership between Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Kenya and Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC).
The collaboration will contribute to efforts to reforest the water catchment area and riparian land around the dam to safeguard the quality and availability of water resources for Nairobi’s residents, ensuring a sustainable future for all.
John Mwendwa, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director at CCBA in Kenya, says the initiative is an integral component of CCBA’s broader mission to support water replenishment efforts, specifically focusing on the rehabilitation and protection of key water catchment areas relevant to the company’s operations.
NWSC and CCBA in Kenya share a common goal of preserving Kenya’s natural resources and promoting environmental conservation.
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,” Mwendwa said.
“Water is a priority for CCBA because it is vital to our business and critical to public health, food security, biodiversity and climate resilience. We have a responsibility to address water stress, protect local water resources and help build community climate resilience.
“Our 2030 water strategy is focused on accelerating the actions needed to increase water security where we operate, source ingredients and touch people’s lives.
“CCBA is 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 making beverages, and to treat and reuse water where possible. We also work to preserve nature and biodiversity, and promote advanced water management practices.
“A key aspect of the strategy is replenishing the water used in our products. This means that, for the amount of water used in finished beverages, our aspiration is that the same amount is returned to nature and communities,” said Mwendwa.
“We will maintain the aspiration of 100% replenishment, focusing on improving watershed health in water-stressed areas that are critical to our business and our agricultural supply chain. We are continually assessing our priority watersheds and engaging local stakeholders to devise integrated and holistic plans for collective action.
“This partnership to reforest the banks of the Sasumua Dam is just one example of our water strategy in action.”
*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
