Nigeria is among the poorest performing nations in Nigeria when ranked on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The country scored 28.32 out of 100, ranking 168 of 180 countries in the 2022 EPI. The statistics are according to the report released by researchers at Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.
The cause for this poor ranking is not farfetched. Nigerians are massively exposed to ozone pollution, poor waste management systems, and continually pollute the ocean with plastics. All these factors make Nigeria the 53rd most climate-vulnerable country, according to Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index. Disturbingly the country is the 6th least-ready country in the world to adapt to climate change.
The United Nations (UN) defines sustainability simply as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” It is simply the responsibility to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems by supporting health and well-being, now and in the future.
Environmental sustainability in Nigeria aims to improve the quality of human life without putting unnecessary strain on the earth’s supporting ecosystems. It is about creating an equilibrium between consumerist human culture and the living world. We can do this by living in a way that doesn’t waste or unnecessarily deplete natural resources.
When we talk about environmental sustainability, we refer to using the available resources wisely and leaving them in good shape for others who may live years after us. When you look at life beyond the present, it becomes clear that sustainability involves selflessness to ensure that the people of the future are all under are selflessly considered in all activities.
Sustainability is not just about individual resources such as a river or farm; true environmental sustainability considers the entire biosphere, including the oceans, land, and atmosphere. Perennially, Nigeria battles floods because of climate change and the failure of stakeholders to implement blockages before the floods came.
Renewable energy is a central point of sustainability lately across the globe. Energy use is a significant contributor to pollution and resource misuse. Renewables can produce energy indefinitely, unlike non-renewable energy sources, which are eventually used up. This form of energy typically has less pollution than non-renewable energy.
Recycling your devices when ready to dispose of them is another excellent idea. You can donate your old devices to schools and other institutions, repair devices instead of buying new ones, or switch to cloud computing and move away from physical hard drives and servers.
Walking, biking, or using the bus presents a win-win opportunity for citizens. As an individual, walking or biking to your destination is a needed exercise to keep in good shape. And using the bus will not only reduce the number of cars releasing carbon dioxide into the air, but it will also help the driver earn an income.
To increase sustainability awareness among all social groups in Nigeria, Nestle partnered with the Lagos Business School (LBS) Sustainability Centre to train journalists on solutions journalism, climate change, health, and environmental awareness and how they apply to business, agriculture, and society.
With the theme, ‘Advancing Nutrition, Health, and Environmental Awareness through the Media,’ the programme’s objectives included equipping print, broadcast, and online journalists with fundamental knowledge on shared value/sustainability and skills to develop compelling stories, video content, and podcasts. With the media buying into the sustainability idea, a lot can be achieved
Limiting food waste is another way to make our environment more sustainable. A lot of energy is used in transporting and storing food for consumption. It is generally better to eat local and seasonal food. Not only will this reduce your carbon footprint, but it will also be fresh. When eating out, take what you need. When eating food from home, prioritise eating perishable food first, plan meals around what you have, and buy ingredients to complete meals.
Reduce your plastic usage; plastics, nylons, metals, and minerals take a long time to decompose. Instead of drinking bottled water, you could get a reusable water bottle to carry around. Using tote bags for your items is also a suitable replacement for nylon bags and sacks. More efficient use of these resources can also help them last longer.
As revealed earlier, Nestle is one leading nutritional industries in Nigeria, striving to enhance consumers’ quality of life worldwide. They understand that to grow sustainably, and we must consume the planet’s resources wisely and use our global presence to help others make a positive impact. As a result, the company is acting on climate change to reduce emissions across the value chain by operating more efficiently and using more sustainably managed renewable resources.
Access to clean water and adequate sanitation is a fundamental human right. However, a staggering 1.2 billion people live in areas of water scarcity, and a further 1.6 billion people face economic water shortage. Nestle’s top priority is protecting and preserving the water resources we share with others. Engaging in proactive, long-term partnerships to define, implement and evaluate solutions aims to steward water resources for future generations.
Plastic pollution is a significant threat to the planet’s well-being, especially the oceans and the sea life that inhabits them. To tackle this, Nestle believes there is an urgent need to reduce the impact of packaging on the environment. Using the company’s research capabilities to develop new solutions, they aim to be a leader in developing the most sustainable packaging for food and beverage products.
Climate change is one of the most critical global issues of our time. It causes extreme weather events that impact various factors, from water availability and growing conditions to migration patterns. As a globally responsible corporate citizen, Nestle is heavily disturbed by climate change.
In September 2019, Nestle committed itself to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2050. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, switching to renewable energy sources, and taking other actions to mitigate the effects of climate change are necessary to help ensure the ongoing success of businesses and those in the supply chain, as well as protecting the world around us.
Nestle uses raw materials dependent on the natural environment: land, soil, trees, and water. So, the company works collaboratively to protect these habitats’ health, focusing on shared water resources, eliminating deforestation from our supply chain, improving soil management, protecting the oceans, and preserving biodiversity. They strive to support all these actions by sourcing raw materials responsibly and promoting sustainable consumption.
The amount of waste the world creates is rising at an alarming rate. The quantity of solid waste generated each year – much of which finds its way into water bodies and oceans – is expected to reach 2.59 billion tonnes by 2030 (World Bank) and might continue to grow throughout the century. We must transform how we use and reuse the world’s natural resources. To this end, Nestle is working to eliminate waste from their activities and going beyond that to educate, raise awareness and identify actions to reduce food waste across the globe.
The top five performing countries in 2022’s EPI ranking are Denmark, the United Kingdom, Finland, Malta, and Sweden. Denmark has the highest ranking at the 2022 EPI, scoring 77.9 out of 100. Its top categories in the ratings are air quality and sustainable nitrogen management.
What can we learn from the Danish? Denmark has built a green culture in their country through the example they established in their capital, Copenhagen. By dedicating its capital to an eco-friendly culture, Denmark is leading by example for its citizens to care for the planet and try to be green. The three central pillars of this environmental protection are bikes, wind, and trash.
Building an eco-country Nigeria is not an impossible task. However, citizens, corporate bodies, government, and other relevant stakeholders must contribute their quota if we will have an environmentally sustainable country to leave behind for generations unborn. The good thing is that Nestle has shown the way, what others only need to do is follow.
