The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has gone into partnership with Natural Eco Capital in a bid to improve the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) programme and promote the greening business of its members.
Speaking on the partnership, the Director-General of NECA, Dr Timothy Olawale stated that “recent global development has brought to the fore the imperative for all Stakeholders to give critical attention to issues surrounding Sustainability, green economy and climate change. As a constituent of the International Labour Organization (ILO), we are committed to the implementation and improvement of the ILO’s “Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises” (SCORE) programme, which, among many other things influenced the collaboration and partnership with Natural Eco Capital.”
On his part, Dr Eugene Itua, CEO Natural Eco Capital says, “We are to jointly implement capacity building and awareness creation in areas relating to sustainability, especially on the green economy which shall include customized or stand-alone courses, workshops, and awards programme relating to sustainability issues. Also, jointly implement the ILO’s SCORE programme, Climate Change programmes and projects on Climate Action and Green Jobs related projects”.
Natural Eco is expected to offer advisory services and consultancy support in greening businesses which include Circular Economy and Natural Capital Accounting. These services would be rendered to NECA member-companies and the general public in some cases, and to NECA as an organization on another hand.
The SCORE programme is a global technical assistance programme designed by the ILO to support small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) development and create decent work. It aims to solve problems faced by SMEs through short-term training for managers and employees, along with on-site expert consultations and guidance. Its philosophy focuses on the belief that good management and improved labour practices lead to higher productivity and better competitiveness.
While the green business, also known as a sustainable business, is an enterprise that has a minimal negative impact, or potentially a positive effect, on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy. Normally, sustainable businesses have progressive environmental and human rights policies. Generally, they match these four criteria if they: incorporate principles of sustainability into each of its business decisions supplies environmentally friendly products or services that replaces demand for non-green products and/or services, greener than the traditional competition, and has made an enduring commitment to environmental principles in its business operations.
Natural Eco is a sustainability firm with vast experience in sustainability issues providing services for both public and private organizations. While NECA is the umbrella organization of employers in the organized private sector of Nigeria providing professional services to the private sector and offering the objective opinion of the government relating to businesses and the business environment.
