activism reminded us that sustainability isn’ t just about the environment; it’ s about governance and equity. ESG’ s“ S” and“ G” pillars are critical for addressing the root causes of these challenges.
The Plastic Problem and the ESG Revolution
Six years ago, I embarked on a project studying post-consumer plastic waste across Africa. What started as a waste management initiative evolved into a broader understanding of ESG’ s transformative potential. This year, I revisited those lessons as the ESG landscape matured from niche concern to business imperative.
Kenya’ s 2017 ban on single-use plastics was a bold step, but 2024 revealed cracks in its enforcement. Plastic pollution persists, driven by weak compliance mechanisms and lack of alternatives. Yet, there’ s hope. Businesses adopting circular economy practices- recycling, reusing, and reimagining waste as a resource- are leading the way. From incentivizing plastic returns in Angola to public-private recycling partnerships in Rwanda, these models show that tailored ESG strategies can work.
Globally, ESG is no longer a fad. Regulatory frameworks, from Kenya’ s Climate Change Act to Europe’ s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, are pushing businesses to integrate sustainability into their core strategies. The rise of tools like AI-powered scenario simulations is making it easier to measure and monitor ESG metrics. Yet, as my third article argued, true transformation requires going beyond compliance. It’ s about reengineering value chains and embedding sustainability into the DNA of businesses.
The Nairobi Securities Exchange: A Beacon of ESG Leadership
Kenya has been a regional leader in ESG disclosure, thanks to the Nairobi Securities Exchange’ s 2021 ESG Disclosures Guidance Manual. This framework has set a benchmark for listed companies, encouraging transparency and comparability. However, as the floods showed us, disclosure alone isn’ t enough. The real challenge lies in translating ESG metrics into action. How do businesses move from reporting carbon emissions to actively reducing them? From highlighting social inequities to addressing them?
The answer lies in collaboration. Kenya’ s progress this year highlighted the need for a multi-stakeholder approach. Government
Kenya’ s young activists have shown that the fight for sustainability is as much about governance and equity as it is about the environment. Their demands for accountability and transparency must be met with action.
policies, private sector innovation, and grassroots activism must align to tackle challenges like deforestation, water scarcity, and waste management. This collective effort is essential for building resilience and achieving sustainable development.
Lessons from the Year: Sustainability Is Not Optional
As the year draws to a close, several key lessons stand out:
Sustainability Is a Business Imperative: |
ESG principles are no longer optional |
for businesses that want to thrive. From |
MSMEs to multinational corporations, |
sustainability |
drives |
customer |
loyalty, |
operational |
efficiency, |
and |
investor |
confidence. |
|
|
|
The Cost of Inaction Is Higher Than the Cost of Change: The floods in Kenya were a devastating reminder that the cost of ignoring climate change far outweighs the investment in sustainable practices.
Youth Are the Catalysts for Change: Kenya’ s young activists have shown that the fight for sustainability is as much about governance and equity as it is about the environment. Their demands for accountability and transparency must be met with action.
Tailored Solutions Work: From plastic waste initiatives to circular economy models, ESG strategies must be context specific. One-size-fits-all approaches won’ t address the unique challenges of Sub- Saharan Africa.
Collaboration Is Key: Sustainability requires collective action. Governments, businesses, and civil society must work together to create systemic change.
A Call to Action: Rise, Kenya, Rise
To borrow from Bane’ s declaration in The Dark Knight Rises:“ Gotham shall rise.” So too must Kenya( and other countries across Sub-Sahara Africa). The year’ s events have shown that sustainability isn’ t just about
preserving the environment; it’ s about creating a fairer, more resilient society. It’ s about ensuring that the unstoppable force of climate change and social inequity meets an equally unstoppable commitment to progress.
As we step into 2025, the question isn’ t whether Kenya can rise to the challenge but whether we’ re willing to do the hard work it takes. The floods, the demonstrations, the plastic waste crisis- these aren’ t just stories of failure. They’ re calls to action. They remind us that chaos isn’ t sustainable and that true heroes- be they MSMEs, activists, or ordinary citizens- are those who dare to create order.
Kenya’ s journey toward sustainability is far from over. But if there’ s one thing this year has taught us, it’ s that we’ re stronger together. Let’ s rise, Kenya, rise- because the stakes have never been higher, and the future has never been brighter.
As we close the year, I wish to express a big thank you to Marketing Africa magazine for giving me the perfect stage to ramble, reflect, and( hopefully) inspire on all things sustainability this year. To you, my amazing readers, thank you for sticking around, reading about Batman, Gotham’ s dilemmas, and somehow relating them to Kenya’ s increasing tax issues- you’ ve been absolute champions for indulging me! Hopefully you’ ll have to read about a different character next year.
Here’ s to a joyful, green, and absolutely sustainable festive season- see you next year for more musings and mischief!
Soyinka Witness spearheads the ESG practice for Ipsos Kenya and leads the Ipsos Strategy3 team across Sub-Saharan Africa, guiding and mentoring colleagues towards impactful work. You can commune via email at: Soyinka. Witness @ ipsos. com.