"I appeal to all people everywhere to raise their voices. Speak out on behalf of this planet, our only home. Let us care for Mother Earth so she can continue to care for us as she has done for millennia.”
That was the plea made by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on the occasion of the International Mother Earth Day 2014.
Every year on April 22, over a billion people in 190 countries take action for Earth Day. People plant trees, clean up their communities, contact their elected officials, and more—all on behalf of the environment.
Nigeria, as a nation, has, for some years now, marked the day with a number of activities at the federal, state and local government levels. Even NGOs are not left out of the annual celebrations often characterized by cleanup efforts, tree-planting exercises, street rallies, lectures, seminars and green concerts.
Earth Day activities offer us an opportunity to draw attention to some of our most pressing environmental and social problems, increasing public awareness and promoting understanding of essential linkages between the environment and general development. “Sustainability” is the main focus of this event, and this has implications not just for government but also for corporates and individuals.
Governance & Sustainable Development
If sustainability is based on the principle that everything we need for our survival and wellbeing depends, directly or indirectly, on our natural environment then, besides the enduring environmental problems such as dessert encroachment in the north, destructive erosion in the south-east and ravaging floods in the south-west, the security threat posed by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents must rank very high on the priorities of the Jonathan-led government.
It is not enough for the government (federal, state or local) or its agencies to deliver political statements or sign/ratify commitment to international environmental conventions in commemoration of the day. No! The government has a duty to develop and maintain sustainable facilities for its people, and relevant government agencies must develop and promote sustainable practices within their environmental programs. Like the rest of the world, we must also draw on advances in science and technology to protect human health and the environment, and promote innovative green business practices.
Concerns around security must be urgently and critically addressed through genuine collaborative efforts among the three tiers of government as well as community associations but the Federal Government must take the lead, at least in intelligence gathering and strategic direction. Our security operatives must be better prepared and equipped to be able to fight internal terrorism, and prevent the wanton destruction of lives and properties which have negative implications for the environment and Nigeria’s economic development.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
The activities of corporate organisations have effects on the environment too. Pollution due constant oil spillage and gas flaring in the Niger-Delta, and radioactive emission from masts and other telecommunications equipment are poignant examples.
In keeping with global trends, the last 15 years have seen a significant rise in the uptake of CSR in Nigeria, going by the huge investments of large companies (mainly in the oil & gas sector, financial services sector, telecoms sector, and the manufacturing industry) in CSR projects.
However, unlike in developed countries where companies have much greater appreciation of the strategic importance of building business practices that create sustainable economies and environments (a holistic view of CSR), CSR in Nigeria is seen mainly as "Corporate philanthropy" - a way of giving back to the society out of the profit a company makes from its business operations.
Consequently, for most Nigerian firms, there is a poor or non-existent link between the corporate culture, employee relation policies, product development & service delivery guidelines or customer engagement practices and their CSR activities. CSR is viewed as an "add-on" (an isolated, extraneous activity) not an inherent "way or manner of conducting business".
This, surely, is a challenge for CSR practice and practitioners in Nigeria today, and underscores the need for refinement in the current CSR models in line with international best practices and local realities. There is a paramount need for public relations experts, CSR practitioners and key decision/policy makers from both the private and public sector to be better educated in developing and implementing robust and sustainable CSR policies & initiatives.
Individual & Community Participation in sustainability Issues
What today is known as World Earth Day derived from the April 22, 1970 rallies in America which saw about 20 million people from all walks of life take to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. The enactment of groundbreaking environmental laws by the American government followed later.
Without a doubt, the support and participation of public and social groups is essential to the achievement of sustainable development. As a people, we must take a more serious look at the state of our environment and try to consider carefully the actions which each of us must take in our common task of preserving our environment.
Individual and community participation and commitment to environmentally friendly practices must be encouraged. Some of these practices include but not limited to proper house keeping and environmental sanitation at the individual level, as well as reduction, recycling and proper disposal or management of waste at community levels.
“Like Earth Days of the past, Earth Day 2014 will focus on the unique environmental challenges of our time. As the world’s population migrates to cities, and as the bleak reality of climate change becomes increasingly clear, the need to create sustainable communities is more important than ever”, says Earth Day Network, global organizer behind Earth Day.
“Earth Day 2014 will seek to do just that through its global theme: Green Cities. With forward-thinking public policies, smart investments in sustainable technology and an educated and active public, we can transform our cities and forge a sustainable future. Nothing is more powerful than the collective action of a billion people!”
Tony Usidamen, a Communications Expert and Social Advocate, writes from Lagos. Email: tonyusidamen@yahoo.com, Twitter: @tonyusidamen
That was the plea made by the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on the occasion of the International Mother Earth Day 2014.
Every year on April 22, over a billion people in 190 countries take action for Earth Day. People plant trees, clean up their communities, contact their elected officials, and more—all on behalf of the environment.
Nigeria, as a nation, has, for some years now, marked the day with a number of activities at the federal, state and local government levels. Even NGOs are not left out of the annual celebrations often characterized by cleanup efforts, tree-planting exercises, street rallies, lectures, seminars and green concerts.
Earth Day activities offer us an opportunity to draw attention to some of our most pressing environmental and social problems, increasing public awareness and promoting understanding of essential linkages between the environment and general development. “Sustainability” is the main focus of this event, and this has implications not just for government but also for corporates and individuals.
Governance & Sustainable Development
If sustainability is based on the principle that everything we need for our survival and wellbeing depends, directly or indirectly, on our natural environment then, besides the enduring environmental problems such as dessert encroachment in the north, destructive erosion in the south-east and ravaging floods in the south-west, the security threat posed by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents must rank very high on the priorities of the Jonathan-led government.
It is not enough for the government (federal, state or local) or its agencies to deliver political statements or sign/ratify commitment to international environmental conventions in commemoration of the day. No! The government has a duty to develop and maintain sustainable facilities for its people, and relevant government agencies must develop and promote sustainable practices within their environmental programs. Like the rest of the world, we must also draw on advances in science and technology to protect human health and the environment, and promote innovative green business practices.
Concerns around security must be urgently and critically addressed through genuine collaborative efforts among the three tiers of government as well as community associations but the Federal Government must take the lead, at least in intelligence gathering and strategic direction. Our security operatives must be better prepared and equipped to be able to fight internal terrorism, and prevent the wanton destruction of lives and properties which have negative implications for the environment and Nigeria’s economic development.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
The activities of corporate organisations have effects on the environment too. Pollution due constant oil spillage and gas flaring in the Niger-Delta, and radioactive emission from masts and other telecommunications equipment are poignant examples.
In keeping with global trends, the last 15 years have seen a significant rise in the uptake of CSR in Nigeria, going by the huge investments of large companies (mainly in the oil & gas sector, financial services sector, telecoms sector, and the manufacturing industry) in CSR projects.
However, unlike in developed countries where companies have much greater appreciation of the strategic importance of building business practices that create sustainable economies and environments (a holistic view of CSR), CSR in Nigeria is seen mainly as "Corporate philanthropy" - a way of giving back to the society out of the profit a company makes from its business operations.
Consequently, for most Nigerian firms, there is a poor or non-existent link between the corporate culture, employee relation policies, product development & service delivery guidelines or customer engagement practices and their CSR activities. CSR is viewed as an "add-on" (an isolated, extraneous activity) not an inherent "way or manner of conducting business".
This, surely, is a challenge for CSR practice and practitioners in Nigeria today, and underscores the need for refinement in the current CSR models in line with international best practices and local realities. There is a paramount need for public relations experts, CSR practitioners and key decision/policy makers from both the private and public sector to be better educated in developing and implementing robust and sustainable CSR policies & initiatives.
Individual & Community Participation in sustainability Issues
What today is known as World Earth Day derived from the April 22, 1970 rallies in America which saw about 20 million people from all walks of life take to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. The enactment of groundbreaking environmental laws by the American government followed later.
Without a doubt, the support and participation of public and social groups is essential to the achievement of sustainable development. As a people, we must take a more serious look at the state of our environment and try to consider carefully the actions which each of us must take in our common task of preserving our environment.
Individual and community participation and commitment to environmentally friendly practices must be encouraged. Some of these practices include but not limited to proper house keeping and environmental sanitation at the individual level, as well as reduction, recycling and proper disposal or management of waste at community levels.
“Like Earth Days of the past, Earth Day 2014 will focus on the unique environmental challenges of our time. As the world’s population migrates to cities, and as the bleak reality of climate change becomes increasingly clear, the need to create sustainable communities is more important than ever”, says Earth Day Network, global organizer behind Earth Day.
“Earth Day 2014 will seek to do just that through its global theme: Green Cities. With forward-thinking public policies, smart investments in sustainable technology and an educated and active public, we can transform our cities and forge a sustainable future. Nothing is more powerful than the collective action of a billion people!”
Tony Usidamen, a Communications Expert and Social Advocate, writes from Lagos. Email: tonyusidamen@yahoo.com, Twitter: @tonyusidamen
No comments:
Post a Comment