The world is celebrating World Environment Day on Wednesday, 5th June, a day set aside by the United Nations to encourage awareness and action for the projection of the environment.
This year’s World Environment Day campaign focuses on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”
Responding to this urgent global call Kenya has made a bold move to plant an unprecedented 15 billion trees. Aimed at mitigating climate change, increasing biodiversity and enhancing environmental resilience, this ambitious effort reaffirms the nation’s commitment to environmental stewardship alignment to accentuate green growth.
While this ambitious project is a major government initiative, the concerted efforts of Kenyan companies are poised to play a key role in accelerating and amplifying the impact of this reforestation agenda.
To support the agenda, NCBA Bank has set an ambitious plan to plant 10 million trees across the country by 2023. This according to the bank will be done through strategic partners with private actors and the government.
‘’We committed to grow 10 million trees by 2030, which we view as critical to enhancing Africa’s ability to counter the negative impacts of climate change.’’ The bank says in its Integrated Report of 2023.
‘’To achieve this, we have leveraged strategic partnerships with private sector actors and the Government to amplify our tree-growing programme,’’ it adds.
So far, the bank has already planted over 7 million together with its partners. NCBA (single-handedly) has planted over 350k trees.
NCBA’s Push for Electric Vehicle Adoption
At the same time, NCBA has been at the forefront in pushing for Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption in the country. Last year, the bank announced a
KES 2 billion fund targeting customers looking to purchase personal and public electric vehicles.
While announcing the fund, NCBA Group CEO John Gachora said: “This shift towards greener transportation promises not only a cleaner environment but also job creation, skills development, and modernization of Kenyan industries. NCBA recognizes this importance and is committed to financing these sustainable mobility solutions.”
The bank has also embarked on an ambitious initiative to invest in deploying electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across our region. So far, NCBA has installed 4 charging stations – three at its headquarters (NCBA Center, NCBA House) in Nairobi and 1 at its HQ in Kigali, Rwanda.
‘’Our vision is not only to support the transition to electric mobility but also to build the infrastructure necessary for a cleaner, more sustainable transportation ecosystem. ‘’ the bank says in its report.
Other green initiatives being championed by NCBA are solar energy financing. The bank has allocated KES 500 million towards solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Waste Recycling and Plastic Reduction are also part of these initiatives.
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