Article By:
Wachilonga Namasaka
According to the World Bank, Kenya generates 3000-4000 tons of waste daily, with a significant portion originating from urban areas. The World Bank further estimates that by 2050, the world will generate 3.4 billion tons of waste. Given these statistics, it is imperative for Kenya to devise effective strategies to address the challenges of sustainable waste management. Additionally, while understanding the state of waste management in urban areas is relatively straightforward, there is limited information available regarding waste conditions in rural areas. This suggests that proper reporting mechanisms are needed for rural areas to participate and not to be left out in sustainable development initiatives like UNEP’s Zero waste by 2050 and UN-Habitat’s waste-wise cities.
With this realization, Kenya enacted the Sustainable Waste Management Act No.31 of 2022 to help solve waste management challenges. The Act mandates county governments to prepare waste management plans and conduct quarterly monitoring reports. Additionally, counties are required to submit annual reports to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and their respective county assemblies on the implementation of the county waste management plan. All of these measures should be ready by July 2024. One of the policies that county governments can consider choosing as part of their legal policies for manufacturers, producers and consumers within their counties, is the adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting mechanisms as part of their sustainable waste management regulations. Such an adoption will supplement the provisions of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the Sustainable Waste Management Act that requires manufacturers to take responsibility for their products’ lifecycle.
For a long time, ESG reporting has been regarded as a sound corporate governance practice. There is therefore an urgent need to recognize its significant role in advancing sustainable waste management as well. ESG reporting in waste management majorly involves the transparent disclosure of an entity’s waste management performance in three key areas: Environmental (E), Social (S), and Governance (G). The environmental principal aims to evaluate the environmental impact of waste management practices, promote eco-friendly disposal methods, and explore innovative waste-to-energy solutions to reduce environmental footprint in counties. On the other hand, the social principle aims to promote transparent communication and collaboration with people from both the urban and rural communities. This helps in fostering inclusivity and shared responsibility hence enhancing waste management effectiveness and contributing to social well-being. Finally, the governance principle speaks to transparency, promotion of more robust waste management policies, efficient allocation of resources and enhanced accountability in sustainable waste management.
Integrating ESG reporting in county waste management regulations is important since it would help boost NEMA’s requisite institutional capacity to monitor waste management within the country. This, in turn, would facilitate data-informed decision-making, enabling proper resource allocation and strategic planning by county governments. Further, ESG reporting can also prevent rural exclusion by promoting transparency, inclusivity, and global standards adherence. In summary, ESG reporting plays a crucial role in propelling sustainable waste management practices by prioritizing alignment with environmentally sound, socially responsible, and governable waste management principles.
