The corporate world is becoming more and more enlightened about the effects of their activities on the environment. Companies are taking up the mantle to engage more in conservation efforts. Another compelling commitment is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Conservation has become every business’s responsibility and in Kenya, Liquid Telecom has engaged in a variety of activities towards this.
The Unveiling of Pollution Sensors
Liquid Telecom Kenya partnered with Code for Africa (CfA) in a project to build and install quality sensors across 3000 sites in Kenya. The sensors are designed to discover pollution in the environment and the extent of the effects. In a pilot project done in Nairobi by 60 sensors, research indicated that there is widespread and dangerous air pollution in the city estimating the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) to affect 20,739 Kenyans every year. Nairobi’s air pollution levels averages from 45% to 65% which is beyond the suggested limit by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The sensors network will provide a means to identify and combat airborne pollutants every two and a half minutes. After successful implementation in Nairobi, the project will expand to Nakuru and Mombasa. Citizens, researchers, regulators and journalist will have access to real-time data from the censors.
This project was initiated by Sensors Africa. The project is aimed at implementation of cutting-edge data science and hardware sensors to monitor air, water and sound pollution. It also aids in giving citizens actionable information about the environment. The initiative was seed-funded by innovateAFRICA.fund and is being incubated by Code for Africa.
Commitment to Sustainability
Liquid Telecom Kenya has adopted the Code of Ethics by the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) that focuses on eliminating conflicts of interest, upholding integrity in business, ensuring efficient use of resources, and reducing its environmental impact. Globally, it has been established that commitment by any business to sustainability increases growth by 20%.
Liquid Telecom strongest commodity is business internet services that have seen the company invest heavily in infrastructure to achieve a constant growth of about 20% every year.
Projects by Liquid Telecom in the Past 12 Months.
- The company implemented a project that saw an increase in the usage of solar panels, deployment of voltage regulators on generators, and building a power substation to reduce diesel use triggered by grid power outages and as a result, reduced the reliance to diesel by 35%.
- A ground-breaking 10-year partnership with Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO), which will enable Liquid Telecom Kenya to operate KETRACO’s Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) fibre cable and expand East Africa’s internet network.
- The completion of an advanced fibre network across Kenya’s 47 counties providing a ten-fold increase in speeds and sharply reduced downtime. This has included the installation of more than 1,200 new edge switches in Nairobi.
- Supporting Kenyan customers with their digital transformation. For example, Umoja Rubber factory now has a turn-around time of 24 hours for a truckload of shoes ordered based on electronic ordering, while St Francis Community hospital in Kasarani has cut the cost of X-rays and CT scans to less than a quarter of the normal price by using a Liquid Telecom Kenya connection to roll out new telemedicine services.
To read more on measure toward environmental sustainability here is The Green Economy And Its Relevance To Kenyan Businesses
Keywords: sensors.Africa, Code for Africa, Liquid Telecom, Environmental Sustainability
