Our daily action, in line with the Veolia Group's 9 commitments to sustainable development, contributes very concretely to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We act as a catalyst for growth in that region and are helping industries operate in a more sustainable and resource-efficient way. We are helping to build a circular economy model based on joint development, improved usage, recovery and recycling of resources. A culture of entrepreneurialism and “frugal” innovation is very much alive in Africa. We are working alongside locals to create cost-effective and sustainable solutions to preserve water and energy resources.
Committing to the planet
Giving new life to treated wastewater in Namibia
Even today, the capital city of Namibia is one of the only cities in the world to recycle its domestic wastewater into drinking water on a large scale. The Windhoek wastewater treatment plant was the first to develop this process. Since 2002, Veolia and its partners have been managing the plant, which recycles wastewater into drinking water for more than 350,000 inhabitants. Besides increasing the quantity of drinking water available, recycling wastewater also offers a double benefit to the environment: it avoids the use of natural resources while significantly reducing pollutant release.
Cleaning up the Moroccan coastline
By taking part in the annual “clean beaches” operation organised by the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Preservation of the Environment in Tangier, Amendis confirms its resolution to protect the beaches of Morocco. In 2018, for the sixth year in a row, the company obtained the “Blue Flag” label for the Ba Kacem beach. The Tangier pre-treatment plant is one of the most important purification facilities in the Tangier area. In Skrirat too, Redal is working to improve the quality of the beaches and coastline. This is part of the global shoreline clean-up programme aiming to improve the inhabitants’ quality of life.
Ensuring environmentallyfriendly industrial water treatment in Ghana
Through our subsidiary Veolia Ghana Limited, set up in 2014 in partnership with AngloGold Ashanti, we operate and maintain the water treatment plant at the Iduapriem mine in Ghana. This mine is subjected to extreme temperature variations, with alternating dry and wet periods. Essential to the mining industry, water is used in various activities such as ore processing, dust removal, slurry transportation and personnel needs. Through this subsidiary, we commit to responsible water management, guaranteeing zero impact on local and regional water resources (in particular the issues associated with the use of cyanide). By ensuring compliance with Ghana’s effluent requirements, we provide environmentally-friendly water and waste treatment.
Committing to the regions
Setting up a PET recycling scheme in Côte d’Ivoire
In Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, our innovative pilot “Africwaste” is assessing a possible system for the local recycling of PET plastic bottles. By working with unofficial waste workers (collectors, private individuals, traders, etc.) AfricWaste’s proposal involves collecting the “wasted” stream of PET bottles that the unofficial sector can not reuse (bottles that are broken, pierced or crushed) and then recycling them. During this 6-month pilot phase, 15 tonnes of PET were collected monthly. A second pilot phase was conducted between March and September 2018 in the district of Treichville. A smartphone app is used to arrange collection. The ultimate goal is to measure available PET streams to determine the feasibility of recycling them locally to supply local industries with recycled PET.
Inventing smart meters in partnership with CityTaps in Niger
SEEN has partnered with CityTaps, a start-up company whose mission is to bring clean drinking water to every home, to improve the health of the most disadvantaged residents. CityTaps has developed a unique solution for SEEN: a groundbreaking smart water meter with a prepayment service that allows customers to pay for their water up front using their mobile phone for any amount. This solution gives customers the option to manage payments as they wish, offering seamless access to the service.
Supporting “Health Caravans” in Morocco
For many years, Amendis and Redal have been supporting the use of medical caravans, through a partnership with the “Colombe Blanche” association and the Health Delegation. Having already provided care to more than 40,000 disadvantaged citizens, these caravans travel around several of the outlying districts of Tangier, Tetouan and Rabat to reach as many people as possible every week. They provide the local populations with access to consultations, medical check-ups, preventative care and free medical tests.
Committing to the people
Supporting Women’s Leadership Plan
Contributing to the social and economic development of local populations
In light of the many environmental challenges and of extreme poverty, which affects women first and foremost in Niger, Veolia, its foundation and La Recyclerie (a third place dedicated to eco-responsible actions) have created, in collaboration with Empow’Her – an association supporting women’s entrepreneurship and recycling – a new concept: L’Oasis, in Niamey. It is a third place with a dual ambition:
• To support the economic integration of women through entrepreneurship
• To raise awareness of the issues related to sustainable development
With the support of the Société des Exploitation des Eaux du Niger (SEEN), L’Oasis celebrated its first anniversary in February 2019 having supported over 680 women and educated 2,500 people in one year, and set up a community vegetable garden for the employees of SEEN.
L’Oasis is laid out into various workplaces (offices, gardens, workshop spaces, etc.); it also generates jobs through its incubator and its support and training programmes for female entrepreneurs.
Investing in children extracurricular support
Through citizen actions spearheaded by Redal in 2018, the company has focused on combatting school dropout rates. In partnership with local associations, the creation of programmes that include taking full responsibility for the schooling of over 300 children from disadvantaged families, and “operation schoolbag”, which handed out 1,000 schoolbags to children from disadvantaged families through over 20 associations in deprived neighbourhoods of Rabat, Salé, Skhirat and Témara, confirms Redal as a company committed to the local populations.