By Amarachukwu Callistus & Fathia Omoniyi
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has launched a five-day Climate Action Week to promote environmental awareness, responsible waste management and sustainable financing across its African and international operations.
The campaign, themed “Banking on Africa’s Climate Future”, runs from 26 to 30 October and seeks to encourage employees, customers and other stakeholders to adopt environmentally responsible practices.
According to a statement from the bank, the initiative began with the deployment of waste segregation bins across its offices and measures to reduce single-use plastics at its head offices.
UBA said it would also use its media and digital platforms throughout the week to educate the public on climate change and its effects on food prices, energy consumption and urban flooding.
The campaign will highlight the importance of proper plastic disposal, recycling and financing environmentally sustainable businesses, including those involved in clean energy and sustainable agriculture.
Bank plans clean-up exercise in three Nigerian cities
As part of its community engagement activities, UBA said its staff volunteers would participate in a group-wide environmental clean-up exercise on 7 November in major cities across its markets.
In Nigeria, the exercise will take place in Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt.
The UBA’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, said climate change was increasingly affecting everyday life across Africa, citing rising food costs, growing energy demand and flooding that disrupts homes, businesses and livelihoods.
“Climate change is no longer a distant environmental concern; it is increasingly shaping everyday life across Africa,” Mr Alawuba said.
He added that tackling the problem required collective action by individuals, businesses and communities.
“At UBA, we believe that building a sustainable future requires collective action, beginning with the choices we make at work, at home and in our communities,” he said.
UBA to showcase green finance at Lagos event
The bank said it would sponsor Climate Convergence Week in Lagos on 30 October, where it would deliver a speaking session and participate in a panel discussion.
The engagement is expected to showcase UBA Green Finance and examine how financial institutions can support Africa’s transition to a more sustainable and climate-resilient economy.
Mr Alawuba said climate risks could affect business continuity, operating costs and financial performance, making sustainability an increasingly important consideration for businesses and their financiers.
“Through UBA Green Finance, we seek to support eligible businesses investing in cleaner technologies and more sustainable operations,” he said.
The bank noted that the financing initiative was intended to help eligible businesses explore funding solutions suited to their needs while supporting private-sector resilience and sustainable economic growth.
UBA also announced plans to join the Sustainability Professionals Institute of Nigeria (SPIN), a move it said would strengthen its environmental, social and governance (ESG) expertise and support employees’ professional development in sustainability-related fields.
The Climate Action Week forms part of the bank’s broader sustainability strategy, which seeks to incorporate environmental responsibility into its business operations, employee engagement, community initiatives and financing activities.
