Author: Josephine Wawira

Imagine having a headache. You take a painkiller, and it goes away for a few hours. But it comes back, and you take another and another.  It is always said that when the problem persists, seek medical attention. At this point, you need a doctor to determine the cause of your headache and treat it before it’s too late.  The planet faces a plastic pollution headache every year; different organizations conduct cleanups in various places to cure this headache, among other activities. Unfortunately, it has persisted like an addiction for decades, and it’s time we sought a different approach—a possible…

The Sustainable Inclusive Business (SIB-Kenya), Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) has released a report dubbed “Change the Story: Developing a Local Carbon Market in Kenya”. The report describes the current situation, reflects on the opportunities for a Kenyan carbon market, and comes just days after the 2023 Earth Hour celebrations. It has been published in partnership with the global Sustainability Consultant Group, TheRockGroup. Climate change and biodiversity are complex, global, and interconnected issues. This report is limited to the role of the Kenyan private sector in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) with a focus on nature-based solutions (NBS) in addressing…

For a long time now, the economy and the conservation of biodiversity seemed to be two different worlds. Not many CEOs or financial managers were able to explain how their company’s impact contributed to the loss of species, deforestation or the acidification of oceans. But times have changed.  Today, trailblazing entrepreneurs understand that they don’t have to be biologists to recognize the correlation between nature and the economy. In simple terms; on a dead planet, there would be no thriving business.  Biodiversity is on the verge of collapse   The more we know about nature, the clearer it dawns to us…

While some parts of the world are slowly beginning to lift strict lockdown measures after Covid-19 brought life to a grinding halt, Kenya is still facing a growing threat from the rising number of new cases. The healthcare system is under tremendous pressure, and the economic meltdown is no longer an unfathomable outcome. Yet, the pandemic continues to pose another monstrous challenge, Plastic! Which has turned out to be one of the most used materials in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used during the coronavirus crisis, including disposable gloves, sanitizers and handwash plastic bottles. Despite there being brilliant initiatives by businesses to provide…

It is quite phenomenal how in recent years, both e-commerce players and retailers have used Black Friday to sweep thrifty shoppers off their feet. So much that the shopping event is no longer restricted to a single-day shopping spree but has rather taken over the entire month to become Black November. If you drove around the streets of Nairobi, Lagos, and Johannesburg for instance, the number of billboards showing discounted Black Friday sales as well as digital advertisements is proof of the retailers’ craze to maximize consumer spend during the BF period.  Undoubtedly, the ripple effect that Black Friday sales…

The rise and growth of e-commerce in the world and primarily in Africa has created a lot of business opportunities, not only in urban but also in rural areas. The good news is that there is undoubtedly increased connectivity, reaching even the previously inaccessible remote villages across the continent and connecting them with e-commerce. Over the past approximately three years, the market has been noted to move substantially in the direction of developing logistics meant to tear down barriers for e-commerce penetration in rural markets. Consequently, online retailers can now reach customers in remote cities, while locals have access to…