Environment Conservation
Protect Nature, Preserve the Future!
Our commitement
Building a Sustainable Future
In the first half of 2024, Castel Malawi Limited continues to take care of the two forest reserves, within the water catchment areas of the two cities, Blantyre in the south, Lilongwe in the Centre and Mzuzu in the north.
The forest reserves are under the stewardship of the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources. In 2023, CML planted 16,000 natural trees in the agreed catchment areas. In the tree planting season of 2024, Castel did a lot of after-care work such as weeding, watering, including re-planting where some young trees had died. The objective is to make sure that by end of the 5-year period, 100% of these trees must grow into semi-mature forest.
Castel Malawi also remains committed in supporting and ensuring that the local communities to be the caretakers and custodians of these two catchment areas. This year Castel Malawi gave the community policing some equipment to enable them to provide care and security for the forests to guarantee survival. In this way, the company is giving back to communities through restoration of water catchment areas. This will help to resuscitate the water sources and prevent environmental degradation. This is why we are working with the Department of Forestry as well as Environmental Affairs to guide us on climate resilience and robust in environmental management systems, supporting the Malawi Agenda, 2063.
In 2024, the company replanted 20% of the trees about 2,400 that did not do well out of the 80% (7,600) of the trees that did well in the Southern Region of Malawi. In the campaign to restore this catchment area which suffered deforestation in the past years, the company is committed to regenerate the same portion of land until restoration is achieved. The same for the Northen Region where 60% of the trees did well. In the same spirit, to support this exercise, the company supported the communities with gumboots, panga knives, hard hats as a way of empowering local community policing who look after these trees and provide services such as: weeding and constructing fire breaks.
Our Key Initiatives
Strategic programs designed to create measurable environmental impact
As part of Castel Malawi’s environmental stewardship campaign, it has analyzed its solid waste manifest to look for opportunities for reusable/recyclable solid waste.
The company has with the help of the Ministry of local Government under Blantyre City Council, managed to identify Community Based Organizations – CBO’s (certified by the City Council). These stakeholders are yet to be carrying out the activities of waste recycling, with these City Council on the identified projects. Castel Malawi Ltd, through its CSR, believes that the initiative will not only empower the local communities, but also reduce the burden on the current landfill sites as well as city dumpsites and help to keep the city clean.
The Company has also committed to involving its internal stakeholder, our employees’, through its environmental management projects. To embark on green energy and economy, Castel Malawi Ltd, has moved from the use of disposable plastic cups on all its potable water sources. These have been replaced with thermo mugs as one way of reducing the use of plastic waste as well as minimizing litter by the use of a re-usable cup.
In the course of acquiring ISO 26000, the company’s CSR strategy has been modified to incorporate and align its strategic goals, its employees, as well as the value chain to support ISO 2600. This commitment defines the company’s new direction and vision, and is aligned with the company’s values, ambitions, and challenges.
Castel Malawi’s vision is a global one; to be company which is aware of its impact on its stakeholders. It is keen to drive continuous improvement, in all areas that are increasingly relevant and central to its activities, such as: environment, safety, quality, health, community, and well-being.
This commitment is for the next three years, to guide the company’s day-to-day decisions. The drive to attain ISO 26000 applies to all our employees and all its business partners. Its implementation will be periodically accessed by as well as communicated to all the stakeholders concerned, from time to time.
In the first half of 2024, we have strived at ensuring that this modified strategy has therefore been sent to all its stakeholders and will be published in all its media.
The company has since appointed CSR committee. This is being driven, not only by the CSR Department, but we have also formulated a multi-discipline committee (inter-departmental) which will work together on the CSR projects.
The committee has the Managing Director as the chair of the committee and the executive committee which includes: the Chief Finance Officer, the Human Resources and Corporate Affairs Director, the Logistics Director, and the Technical Director. The CSR committee is coordinated by the CSR Manager and has the following are in the CSR Operational Committee: a representative from Finance Department on Controlling, Legal, Procurement and IT, a representative from Human Resources on Training, a representative from Logistics Department on Deployment, a representative from Technical Department on HSE and projects and a representative from Commercial Department on Communications as well as from the Workers Union.
The CSR Committee is the guarantor of the company’s vision and the commitment to a better future.
