Safaricom 2018 Sustainable Business Report

46 INTRODUCTION OUR BUSINESS OUR MATERIAL TOPICS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 2018 SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS REPORT ZERO WASTE TO LANDFILL We successfully launched our internal waste management programme during the year and Safaricom is now recycling or reusing 97 per cent of the waste generated within our administrative buildings in Nairobi. Dubbed ‘Zero waste to landfill’, the programme targets plastics, food and paper waste and has been fully implemented at our main facilities (HQ1, HQ2, HQ3, Safaricom Call Centre (SCC) and Jambo Call Centre (JCC)). ISO 14001 RE-CERTIFICATION A major achievement during the year was our successful transition to the new ISO 14001:2015 Environment Management System (EMS) Standard. The new standard is more robust and better aligned with sustainable business strategies and we are one of the first Kenyan companies to go through the audit process and achieve the certification. AUDITING OUR NETWORK We continued to undertake Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Environmental Audits (EAs) during the year. Part of our monitoring and evaluation of our environmental impact, we conduct EIAs on new and proposed infrastructural developments (from BTS to fibre optic network trenching) and EAs on our existing infrastructure. FY18 FY17 FY16 FY15 Environmental Impact Assessments 590 527 463 260 Environmental Audits 458 447 342 275 All scheduled EIAs and EAs were successfully carried out during the year. The slight increases in numbers of EIAs and EAs conducted reflect the additional structures (predominantly BTS) either deployed or operationalised (i.e. co-located) during the year. Addressing EMF concerns in Mombasa A one-day training workshop addressing common public concerns regarding Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMFs) was held for residents of Mombasa in August 2018. Over 200 people attended the event, which was held at the Royal Court Hotel in Mombasa. The workshop was hosted by Safaricom in partnership with the National Environment Management Authority, the Communication Authority of Kenya and the Kenya Alliance of Residents Association. The training greatly improved the knowledge, understanding and perceptions of the participants regarding the sensitive topic of EMFs. LOOKING AHEAD FY19 Goals • Continue evaluating and implementing carbon offset projects * • Become a ‘plastic free’ organisation by FY19 by eliminating all forms of plastic used within Safaricom facilities (with some exceptions, such as the Safaricom clinic and personal plastic items brought in by members of staff) and minimising the plastic used in retail packaging • Submit our carbon reduction milestone targets for official validation by the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi) • Continued implementation of the Green Procurement Policy across the business • Develop a framework in readiness for release of the first ever ‘green bond’ in the Kenyan market • Continue to organise forums with residents’ associations and the public to create awareness of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and to address Electro- Magnetic Frequency (EMF) concerns • Develop and implement our climate change policy • Continue to implement renewable energy initiatives across the business S D G 1 2