We find ourselves living at a time when climate change has moved from being a topic of discussion at summits to affecting our day to day lives. From the recent flooding and dry weather conditions that have hit the country overtime, the effects of climate change have become a reality. It is plain to see that this phenomenon is here to stay, and it is our obligation to do something about it. One organization which has taken up the mantle in mitigating these effects is NCBA Bank under their “Change the Story” program.
Under the Change the Story program, the bank has identified five distinct pillars which are meant to help it address their impact on climate change and the community at large.
The first pillar generally looks at how the bank can be able to reduce their direct impact on climate change by planting trees and reducing waste. This is because one of the biggest contributors to climate change has been greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide which have negatively impacted the ozone layer leading to rising temperatures. Being that plants and trees in generally utilize carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, one of the surest ways of combating the greenhouse gases is by planting trees. As such, NCBA Bank has undertaken to plant 10 million trees by 2030 as part of efforts to address their emissions as well as give back to society.
So far, NCBA has partnered with various organizations to plant over 7 Million trees and are well on their way towards achieving their target. Some of the partners that the bank has been working with include farmers from Boreka Group in Kitui County of whom a majority are women. The farmers were trained on climate change impact, climate action and resilience. Following the training, 44,000 indigenous seedlings were planted in Kitui County. The bank also invested Kes. 23 million to establish a 1 million indigenous seedling nursery in partnership with Kenya Forest Service at Karura Forest and four tree nurseries in Kieni with the World Wide Fund.
Other than planting trees, the NCBA is also working to eliminate single use plastic and recycle 100% of our waste by 2030. This has seen the bank recycle over 34% of the waste that is produced at their head office and some of the pilot branches. They have also reduced the amount of plastic that is used in gifting by 76.3% which is quite commendable in my opinion.
Under the second pillar which explores how NCBA can be able to steer its customers to adopting a low carbon operating model. The bank has committed to providing Ksh. 30 Billion in sustainable financing for its customers to assist in this transition. The projects to be financed under this initiative are those that that promote environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and good governance. Towards this the bank has set up a Ksh. 3 Billion Electronic Vehicle fund and a Ksh. 500 million solar financing fund.
To further boost the adoption of electric vehicles, the bank has invested in deploying electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the region. They have installed four EV chargers, three of which are at their at our headquarters in Nairobi and one in Kigali, Rwanda with plans to add more in the future. They are also educating the public about the benefits of electric vehicles as a way to motivating them invest in EVs.
Under the third pillar which looks at mitigating the impact of climate related risk on their long term performance. The bank is conducting an audit that is meant to help them reduce their emissions across their operations. This is in line with their commitment to reduce direct emissions by 50% by 2030. Some of the activities that the bank is carrying out to achieve this includes upgrading company vehicles to Evs, upgrading their diesel generators and ensuring that operate at an optimum level among others. The bank also intends to conduct assessments of climate-related risks in their lending, investment, and financing activities.
Pillar four of the Change the story program looks at how the bank can be able to enhance the impact of their community engagement. Towards this the bank has allocated Ksh. 100 million annually to support local communities as well as regional sports development. This year, the bank partnered with the likes of Dr. Choksey Albinism Foundation, Edumed Trust, SOS Children’s Villages Kenya among others to offer scholarships with Ksh. 12 million.
Under the fifth and final pillar, NCBA is looking optimizing their corporate governance in a bid to foster inclusivity, empowerment, and sustainable development. Towards this, the bank has committed to give 30% of their tenders to women and youth owned enterprises. As well as targeted mentorship and skills building for this groups which is considered to be vulnerable. The bank’s employee female to male ratio currently stands at 51:49 which goes to show their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion at all levels.
All in all, these five pillars indicate the bank’s commitment to operating sustainably while making a difference in people’s lives. With the focus on planting trees, recycling, community engagement and corporate governance the Change the Story program is slowly but surely changing the lives of Kenyans for the better.