Advocate for Effective Water Policies and Stewardship
Nestlé is one of the first signatories of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) WASH Pledge, committing to providing access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene at all of our direct workplace premises.
Our progress
We have used WBCSD’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) self-assessment tool to examine access to water, sanitation and hygiene in our sites across Central and West Africa.
At the end of 2016 all our sites in the region had completed WASH self-assessments.
The majority of sites were in line with the WASH Pledge. In a few areas, there are still some improvements to be made. The closure of any outstanding gaps will be reviewed every quarter.
WASH Pledge at the Douala factory
In 2014, we used the WASH self-assessment tool at our Douala factory in Cameroon. It satisfactorily met the Pledge’s overall compliance levels.
Minor gaps highlighted by the assessment are being addressed with an action plan to a specific timeframe. For example, we improved access to sanitation for disabled people by building a new locker room with a disabled toilet.
We are also helping local communities by providing free access to the water fountain on site during set hours. Together with local authorities, a new waste water drainage project has also been earmarked to help these communities avoid flooding or stagnant water affecting their households, and to boost a cleaner environment.
Feedback from the assessment will be used as a guide for our other sites in Cameroon, such as at our distribution centres and head office.