Ohorongo bags environmental award
Hon. Minister Pohamba Shifeta, Minister of Environment and Tourism, handed over the first ever award to Ohorongo Cement Managing Director, Mr Hans-Wilhelm Schütte, for Environmental Excellence Among Industries.
The awards were aimed at recognising and celebrating the work that companies, local authorities and individuals have done while promoting and demonstrating sustainable and responsible development into the core of business and industry in Namibia.
The Category of Environmental Excellence Among Industries, targeted mainly private sector companies, parastatals and local authorities. The award seeks to reward the application of innovative technologies and exciting approaches, which minimizing operational impacts on the environment, were energy and water efficiency are key focus areas as well as environmentally friendly approaches to the management of waste.
The competition for the category was stiff and Ohorongo had to compete against Namdeb, Hendrick Ehlers and the Uuyele Solar Bottle project, Wolwedans Collection and Northern Refuse Removals, who were all nominated. However, Ohorongo walked away victorious, with Wolwedans as runner-up. Ohorongo Cement thanked the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, together with the Environmental Investment Fund and the Sustainable Development Advisory Council and others for placing the appropriate focus on this very important aspect of sustainable development.
Ohorongo took pride in the fact that, to name but one, its CO2 emissions are even lower than European standard requirements. However it continuously strives towards improvement through improving energy efficiencies and the cutting of waste.
According to Ohorongo, the focus on sustainable development should start with an educational process from a young age and it supports the bottom-up revolution, which also connects communities and collaborated efforts. “Each Namibian resident can make a difference, even in the smallest manner by heeding the advice: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle!,” said Ohorongo. Meanwhile Ohorongo said it is planning to utilize the award by ploughing back into the small community of Otavi. According to the cement firm, it will liaise with the Otavi Town Council and identify an environmental community project to which the company can contribute. The company has won similar awards in the past, however, receiving this award is a validation that the company is on the right track.
“Ohorongo is but an infant within a new industry, and to be bestowed with this award for Excellence Among Industries is a truly humbling experience,” said Carina Sowden of Ohorongo.
As Ohorongo Cement embraces this recognition, it encouraged other sectors and industry to intensify their commitments towards the nation, to ensure a quality of life for future generations.
