Nestlé Nigeria has, for the second time in a row, picked a trophy at the Social Enterprise Reports and Award (SERA), widely considered the biggest, most credible and most glamorous business award event in the West African nation.
At the 7th SERAs award ceremony held at the MUSON Centre in Lagos on Saturday, September 21, 2013, Nestlé Nigeria Plc was adjudged the best Nigerian industrial company in Environmental Sustainability.
The award, which was received on behalf of the company by the Country Manager, Dharnesh Gordhon, demonstrates a commitment by Nestlé to environmentally sustainable business practices such as water conservation and energy efficiency at its manufacturing sites (Agbara, Flowergate factories and Ota Distribution Centre), having received the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification (14001).
The award also takes cognizance of Nestlé Nigeria’s commitment towards achieving evidence-based reporting of its environmental Key Performance Indicators as published in the Nestlé in Society: CSV Report for Nigeria.
For instance, Nestlé Nigeria is reducing water withdrawal and energy consumption per tonne per production, enabling it to decrease its environmental footprint in the areas of effluent and waste discharges.
It further reflects a proactive engagement by Nestlé with both state and non-state actors such as environmental journalists in calling attention to some of the pressing environmental issues affecting the earth and how this could be tackled by means of concerted efforts.
Nestlé Nigeria interfaces with the environment in its business practices and has in the last decades won the Nigerian Environment Friendly Industry of the year award three times (1995, 1997 and 2005) and was named in 2004 as the Most Environmentally Proactive Industry in the country.
In 2012, Nestlé Nigeria was recognized as the best performing Creating Shared Value practicing business entity; a clear recognition of the company’s new approach in tackling issues on Nutrition, Health and Wellness that helps addresses the needs of the company, as well as those of the communities in which it operates, adding long-term value to both.
Like last year’s achievement, the 2013 award celebrates a global company actively committed to sustainable business practices that are impacting positively on the communities in which the Company operates.
Speaking after the awards, Mr Gordhon stated: The SERA Award is a strong encouragement for us to continue with our environmental sustainability efforts and other CSV initiatives. We believe that all parts of society share responsibility for the environment. However, we are determined to provide leadership within our sphere of influence; and for the resulting environmental benefits to become an extra reason for people to prefer our products.''
SERA is the gold standard in assessing and documenting corporate social responsibility and sustainability in Nigeria, following a rigorous verification process that includes the award panel visiting project sites to interview beneficiaries and stakeholders.
The awardees are selected based on their innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability edge, but to be successful, the Nigerian populace would have to vote to affirm the nominees as worthy of the awards.