* In the 2023 which has just ended, six service centres of Chiponde, Chiradzulu, Ntcheu, Dedza, Mchinji, and Chitipa were completed
* The project is further completing incorporation of solar energy at 18 additional centres
* Of Neno, Goliati, Luchenza, Mponela, Ntchisi, and Jenda in the next few months
By Duncan Mlanjira
In its commitment to embrace renewable energy for a sustainable future, FDH Financial Holdings Limited is investing close to K1 billion in solar energy in powering its largest branch network of 51 service centres in Malawi.
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FDH Financial Holdings’ Group Head of Marketing, Levie Nkunika said this is a significant progress in the company’s green energy initiative and its commitment to sustainability through the FDH Cares program — which is pivoted on four pillars; ‘Our People’, ‘Our Community’, ‘Our Economy’ and ‘Our Environment’ and is aligned to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
He added that in the 2023 which has just ended, six service centres of Chiponde, Chiradzulu, Ntcheu, Dedza, Mchinji, and Chitipa were completed and the project is further completing incorporation of solar energy at 18 additional centres.
“These include Neno, Goliati, Luchenza, Mponela, Ntchisi, and Jenda in the next few months — joining the sustainable energy movement,” Nkunika said.
“As part of our customer focused initiatives, in addition to embracing renewable energy for a sustainable future, this also ensures that our customer experience in the biggest branch network in Malawi are served without interruption even when their areas are facing loadshedding.
“We have committed a total of K1 billion to the completion of the project next year. The initiative is more than an investment in renewable energy — it’s a testament to our dedication to our communities and the planet. And we are committed to leading the way to sustainability.
“Embracing renewable energy or green energy not only aligns with our environmental commitments but also brings substantial benefits. By leveraging solar power, we significantly reduce our carbon footprint, contributing to global efforts against climate change and move towards the attainment of sustainable development goals(SDGs) number 7.”
The United Nations take on renewable energy it that it is powering a safer future; its sources are all around us; it is cheaper; healthier; creates jobs and makes economic sense.
The UN maintains that “energy is at the heart of the climate challenge – and key to the solution. A large chunk of the greenhouse gases that blanket the Earth and trap the sun’s heat are generated through energy production, by burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and heat.
“Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, are by far the largest contributor to global climate change — accounting for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
“The science is clear — to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050. To achieve this, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of energy that are clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable.
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“Renewable energy sources – which are available in abundance all around us, provided by the sun, wind, water, waste, and heat from the Earth – are replenished by nature and emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants into the air.
“Fossil fuels still account for more than 80% of global energy production but cleaner sources of energy are gaining ground as about 29% of electricity currently comes from renewable sources.
On renewable energy being healthier, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that about 99% of people in the world breathe air that exceeds air quality limits and threatens their health, and more than 13 million deaths around the world each year are due to avoidable environmental causes, including air pollution.
The unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide originate mainly from the burning of fossil fuels. In 2018, air pollution from fossil fuels caused $2.9 trillion in health and economic costs — about $8 billion a day.
“Switching to clean sources of energy, such as wind and solar, thus helps address not only climate change but also air pollution and health,” says the WHO.
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