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Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey speaks during the ‘Transforming the Plastics Economy’ panel at the Annual Meeting 2019 of the World Economic Forum.
World Economic Forum / Sikarin Fon Thanachaiary
NGOs - SDGs
Coca-Cola CEO at Davos: Collection and Recycling Key to Driving Circular Plastics Economy
From left: Sara Eisen, Tran Hong Ha, James Quincey, Brune Poirson, Ramon Laguarta and Jim Fitterling gather on Jan. 24 for the ‘Transforming the Plastics Economy’ panel discussion at the Annual Meeting 2019 of the World Economic Forum. Sanada.
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND – Curbing plastic waste and creating a circular plastic economy requires companies, governments and NGOs to make recycling easier and more attractive to people around the world, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said this week during a World Economic Forum (WEF) panel discussion moderated by CNBC’s Sara Eisen.
“We need to make it a better value proposition for the consumer,” Quincey said. “We need to make it more convenient and more valuable for them to return the (PET) bottles – so they have value, and so we can buy them back and then reuse them. Then the flywheel – the circular economy – turns very quickly.”
He added, “We’ve done an amazing job, collectively, of delivering convenience to consumers We’ve delivered fantastic-tasting products that are easy to buy, easy to consume. But we have not yet made them easy to recover and reuse. Only with that bit of convenience can we truly have a circular economy that will give value to each bottle.”
Quincey, who was joined on the panel by PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta, Dow Chemical CEO Jim Fitterling and senior government officials and environment ministers, Brune Poirson of France and Tran Hong Ha of Vietnam, stressed the need for continued cross-sector collaboration throughout the plastics value chain. “I think there’s an urgency to put in place systems that work,” he said. “The sense of urgency is driving everyone forward.”
Last year, Coca-Cola announced it would expand access to the IP for its PlantBottleTM – the world’s first, fully-recyclable PET plastic bottle made partially from plant waste – more broadly, including to beverage industry competitors.
“What we want is to see this collective action on design of sustainable packaging and recovery of sustainable packaging,” Quincey explained. “Because that’s what will make all industries more sustainable.”
In France, Coca-Cola operates Europe’s largest food-grade PET recycling facility. “It’s not operating at capacity,” Quincey noted. “Why? Because we don’t get enough clean feedstock. We need to get the bottles back. The gap at the high value end of plastics – PET – is collection.”
And it’s not just about recyclability, Quincey insisted. “We also have to worry about the carbon footprint of all these options,” he added, noting that PET bottles have a lower carbon footprint than the equivalent amount of aluminum or glass.
While Coke continues to push the innovation envelope in everything from packaging design to chemical recycling, Quincey stressed that existing solutions are working. The challenge is getting more people in more places to recycle more plastic packages more often.
“We’ve seen countries like Mexico and South Africa go from 10 percent (plastic bottle recycling rates) to 70 percent in a decade,” he added, noting that the global average is around 60 percent. “We’ve proven it in countries… now we just need to take it to a global scale.”
He concluded. “We have a lot of momentum. We are moving to the stage of not just individual action and individual country successes, we’re moving to success at scale. At the end of the day, this is not a model that needs to be reinvented – though innovation can make it much better – because there are countries where, collectively, we’ve solved the problem.”
Source: Coca Cola website
NGOs - SDGs
LEAP Africa and DOW Partner to Activate Youth Action for Sustainable Development Across Africa
LEAP Africa, one of Africa’s leading non-profit organization focused on youth leadership development and Dow, a global leader in materials science, are pleased to announce the fourth edition of its Pan-African ‘Youth Day of Service (YDoS)’ campaign, a youth-led social impact campaign with the theme – Youthful and Useful.
Scheduled to be held till August 31, 2023, Youth Day of Service is a month-long campaign that seeks to foster the spirit of service to community and volunteerism among the youth population in Africa with focus on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This campaign which is in commemoration of the International Youth Day seeks to rally young people, corporate organisations, Governments, the Private and Social sectors across Africa to advocate and renew the spirit of active youth citizenship and collective responsibility.
Speaking at the Pan-African Press Conference and Stakeholders Engagement, Kehinde Ayeni, Executive Director LEAP Africa said: “One of our strategic pillars at LEAP Africa is to raise talents for the actualization of the SDGs. This campaign is a demonstration that LEAP Africa remains committed to youth-led actions for Sustainable Development across Africa. We believe in the power, voices, numbers and agency of young people and that an urgent commitment to creatively engaging with youth, creating platforms such as this and retooling youth with the skills and support to shape SDGs implementation across the continent, is the greatest need. We cannot do this alone, therefore we are fostering partnerships to bring the achievement of the goals closer.”
In her remarks, Mumbi Keega, Public Affairs Lead-Africa, Dow, said, “Dow is committed to fostering positive change and building resilient and sustainable communities in Africa. We believe that this can only be achieved by working together with the African youth, who are vital to promoting social welfare. Through our partnership with LEAP Africa, we are supporting the Youth Day of Service (YDoS) initiative, which empowers young people to use their skills and talents to make a difference in their communities. We are proud to be a part of YDoS and to support the next generation of African leaders who are working to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all.”
Chege Ngugi, Africa Regional Director of ChildFund International in his remarks called for increased investment by governments and other stakeholders in youth development programs. “While many laudable initiatives, such as national youth funds exist, there is still a dire need to do more to ensure all youth, given the huge number, are adequately resourced to achieve their best potential, no matter where they are from. We must move beyond giving the youth a seat at the table to investing in them to use that seat for good. The youth must be enabled to act as equal partners of positive social change.”
Emerging Leaders Foundation-Africa one of the implementing partners for the Youth Day of Service, represented by Caren Wakoli the Founder and Executive Director lauded LEAP Africa for investing in this initiative for the second year in Kenya. Caren noted that ELF-Africa had lined up week-long community activities across nine counties, addressing five different SDGs. She further re-affirmed ELF-Africa’s commitment to championing transformational youth action in Kenya and Africa for a sustainable future. Caren concluded by calling on young people and grassroot organisations across Kenya to join the different Youth Day of Service activities in counties near them, especially the nine counties where ELF-Africa will be working, these are Migori, Bungoma, Narok, Kericho, Uasin Gishu, Murang’a, Makueni, and Kilifi.
This year, LEAP Africa will be leveraging the support of strategic partners like ChildFund International, Emerging Leaders Foundation, BellaNaija, Forgotten Bottom Millions, Legit, Zikoko Citizen, W4 Immerse, Dotts Media, African Climate Reality Project, Strategic Youth Network for Development Ghana, Youth Development Organisation Zambia and Global Shapers Community, among others, in delivering the Youth Day of Service.
Miss Career Africa Women (Image: Supplied)
Recognizing the need to empower aspiring young female entrepreneurs in Africa, the Miss Career Africa Organization (MCA) was established. The MCA program aims to uplift young women professionals, entrepreneurs, and students by offering university scholarships, career guidance, entrepreneurship incubation, leadership training, and networking opportunities.
The Miss Career Africa competition is a transformative experience for aspiring young women entrepreneurs from across the continent. With a vision to create a movement of 450,000 young women entrepreneurs and professionals across Africa, MCA aims to empower these trailblazers to become influential leaders in their respective countries.
Each year, 20 exceptional candidates aged between 18 and 24 years are selected from hundreds of applicants based on their projects or businesses and specific criteria. These talented young women then compete for the title of “Miss Career Africa.” The journey to the crown begins with a pre-selection and online voting process. The finalists undergo a rigorous 5-day boot camp, where a team of experts helps them refine their ideas into viable and scalable business models.
The Grand Finale features a distinguished panel of judges from different countries and disciplines who will crown winners in various categories, including Miss STEM, Miss Arts and Talent, Miss Hospitality, Miss Agriculture, Miss Conservation, and Miss Speaker, as well as regional winners representing the Southern, Northern, Central, Eastern, and Western regions. Prizes for the winners include seed capital, a six-month incubation training period, and continuous guidance and follow-up support to help them turn their dreams into reality.
Meet the Visionaries
Sandrine Munezero – Executive Director of Miss Career Africa
Hail from Rwanda, Sandrine Munezero is a true innovator. As an entrepreneur, innovator, and business modeling coach, she has dedicated her life to helping the next generation create their own opportunities by harnessing their talents and gifts. Sandrine’s unwavering passion drives the growth of Miss Career Africa across the continent. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from St. Joseph’s College in India and a Bachelor’s degree from Bishop Heber College in Trichy, India.
Portia Addae Annin – Western Africa Coordinator of Miss Career Africa
Passionate about empowering girls and young women, Portia Addae Annin is a force to be reckoned with. Her exceptional motivation and commitment to excellence have led her to serve in various prestigious positions. With a Master’s Degree in Economics from Bangalore University in India and a background in Economics and Business Management from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, Portia brings a wealth of expertise to the organization.
OSNON Academy is delighted to announce its exclusive scholarship opportunity for the upcoming 2023/2024 academic year, dedicated to students from low-income families, and marginalized communities. This prestigious scholarship aims to provide the selected exceptional students with a world-class education that has the power to shape their future.
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This scholarship opportunity is specifically tailored for parents, guardians, and school students who aspire to receive an outstanding education that paves their path to success. By applying for this scholarship, students will have the remarkable chance to benefit from OSNON Academy’s innovative and well-rounded learning experiences.
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