Biodiversity: Dangote Cement partners Agencies, Stakeholders on environmental sustainability
plants 7,205 trees to commemorate the 2022 Environmental Day
Nigeria’s bid to reduce carbon emissions has received a boost as
Pan-African cement manufacturer, Dangote Cement Plc entered into
partnership with partnered with the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and National Environmental Standards and the
Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to promote environmental
sustainability.
In the same vein, Dangote Cement also collaborated with the Lagos
Business School Sustainability Centre, and Nigerian Conservation
Foundation (NCF) as part of the Company’s initiatives to mark the 2022
World Environment Day in all its 14 production plants in Nigeria and
Pan Africa.
Dangote Cement’s Environment Week programme supports African countries
and the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) joint venture
(JV) agreement to invest in carbon avoidance and offsetting projects.
In carrying out the initiatives, Dangote Cement engaged experts to
build the capacity of employees, local communities and other
stakeholders on biodiversity conservation and progressive reclamation
of mining sites. Other topics addressed were soil rehabilitation and
carbon mitigation. The company also set up a biodiversity garden at
one of its mines in Nigeria to serve as model.
The Group Managing Director of Dangote Cement Plc, Mr Michel Puchercos
noted that the company demonstrated support for governments’ efforts
by contributing climate solutions that would reduce Nigeria’s carbon
emissions.
The World Environment Day featured a web forum entitled ‘Only one
Earth: Conserving the Values of Biodiversity’. It centered on the need
for humans to make deliberate efforts to save the earth by conserving
biodiversity. The forum brought together about 560 participants from
the manufacturing and extractive industries, academia, government
agencies, international agencies, civil society (NGOs), media, and
environment enthusiasts across Africa.
The Head of Sustainability, Dangote Cement Plc, Dr Igazeuma Okoroba
gave insights into the activities of Dangote Cement during the forum
stating that the organisation is complementing government efforts
through collaboration with stakeholders in civil society and industry.
She noted that as Africa’s leading business, the “World Environment
Day commemoration avails us the opportunity to create awareness on
sustainability initiatives to conserve the earth and maintain the
values of biodiversity.” According to Dr Okoroba, the initiatives were
“aimed at entrenching sustainability consciousness across the
business’ value chain. One of the ways Dangote Cement seeks to achieve
this is by complying with rehabilitation plans and exploring ways to
protect the ecosystem in the communities where we operate,
Speaking on World Environment Day, the Head of Environment and Social
Performance, Dangote Cement Plc, Engr Tukur Lawal said the objective
of the initiative was to make mining sites safe for current and future
land use. Specific goals include creating awareness amongst mining
personnel, enabling mining stakeholders to understand the processes of
identifying and evaluating species, flora and fauna for climate risk
management.
Adducing reasons on why Dangote Cement is taking the challenge, Engr.
Lawal asserted that “The company is ready to engage with stakeholders
to conserve biodiversity, mitigate carbon emission and make the
environment safer”.
In line with this year’s theme ‘Only One Earth’, not less than 1,708
Dangote employees volunteered with 1,186 third-party volunteers whom
contributed 12,658 hours in 46 different initiatives across 10
pan-African countries.
The World Environment Day also featured a web forum on “Only One
Earth: Conserving the Values of Biodiversity”, which was hosted by
Dangote Cement in collaboration with the Lagos Business School
Sustainability Centre.
The forum brought together participants from private sector,
government agencies, international agencies and nonprofits across
Africa. Topics discussed centered on the need to remedy the changing
ecosystem as humans must make deliberate efforts to protect the
planet. Speakers submitted that sustainable land management should be
a priority for industry. Businesses whose activities affect soil and
biodiversity should restore the soil by funding recycling, ensuring
green development, and supporting the natural habitat and developers’
who integrate biodiversity in pre and post-development.
In other contributions at the webinar, Dr Igazeuma urged the
participants to draw lessons from Dangote Cement in the alignment of
UN SDGs to Corporate Social Responsibility programming. “An example in
this regard is the planting of 510,636 trees which support carbon
sequestration and the company’s investment in recycling waste for
alternative fuels which supports SDG 13. Dr Okoroba also announced the
release of the Dangote Cement’s 2021 Sustainability Report, which was
published in accordance with GRI Sustainability Reporting Standard and
assured by an independent consultant.”
An impact report released at the end of the forum indicated that
participants advocated that biodiversity loss should be mitigated
through collaboration with government environment agencies, local
communities, NGOs and educational institutions. Greater awareness is
also needed for the public to understand the species of plants and
animals that need not be consumed to extinction.
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