Climate action by teeing off: Standard and partners focus on nutrition

The layout of a golf course follows certain architectural principles. The picturesque fields are usually evidence of planning and siting, design, construction, maintenance and facility operations.   

Tree planting immensely contributes to the provision of beautiful green in every golf course, that The Standard Group, in an initiative themed “On the Green Course for a Green Cause’, has found rewarding.

The initiative reflects Standard Group PLC’s commitment to championing climate action, even as it enhances business connections.

A recent tournament at Nakuru Golf Club, in which at least 170 golfers participated, was the epitome of the 2021/2022 Standard County Golf Classics series.

The fourth event in the season’s series heavily contributed to Standard Group’s conservation programme, as was the case in editions at Nyali Golf and Country Club in Mombasa, as well as Eldoret and Nanyuki Sports clubs last year.

In the first three clubs, the company planted indigenous trees. But beginning with the Nakuru tournament, only fruit trees will be planted to introduce a nutritional aspect to environmental conservation.

This will complement the Group’s other greening programmes with schools and other partners countrywide that focus on growing fruit trees. Standard Group CEO Orlando Lyomu says this is key in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero hunger) and 13 (Climate Action).

The Group has also invited more organisations for partnership on and off the golf course to promote climate adaptation and mitigation under the stewardship of Chief Executive Officer Mr Orlando Lyomu.

“We are determined to make the courses greener, but we will be planting more fruit trees,” said Mr Lyomu at the end of the Nakuru tournament, where the company partnered with Mediheal Group of Hospitals, FMD East Africa Limited and Space and Style Limited.

Space and Style Limited Chief Executive Officer Ms Winnie Ngumi said on the partnership with Standard Group PLC: “Our pre-engineered light gauge steel trusses are a great substitute to the traditional timber trusses. Timber trusses lead to deforestation, damaging the environment and contributing to climate change. Steel is environment friendly; 66 per cent of it is recycled.”

“We also provide a turnkey building solution made of steel structures in place of brick and mortar. The projects are precise with shorter construction time, quality control and are much more affordable. Frametech steel, with our fibre cement boards are used for dry construction, which helps conserve water used in construction projects,” added Space and Style Limited, which offers innovative lifetime building and construction solutions.

She said their stone coated roofing tiles are safe for water harvesting, as they are made of Aluzinc and coated with natural stone chips. Their PVC gutters, she said, are easy to install, and do not have leaks on the joints.

Mediheal Group of Hospitals Business Relations Vice-President Mr Gokul Prem Kumar said: “We are adopting the Green Hospital concept, which enhances the patient well-being and aids in the curative process while utilising natural resources in an efficient and environment-friendly manner.”

By doing this, Kumar said they are reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and conserving energy, like tapping alternative resources such as solar power. This saves up to 25 per cent in costs, and benefit is passed to patients, making treatment cheaper. 

Research shows patients recover faster in green hospitals. “We are able to drive Kenya as the preferred healthcare destination for patients travelling for transplants (kidney and liver), cancer management, cardiac sciences, IVF, neurosurgery and many others,” Mr Kumar said.

Pan-African Equipment (Kenya) Ltd, trading as FMD East Africa Ltd, has also partnered with Standard Group in the County Golf Series.

East Africa General Manager Mr Fergus Robley says FMD, which provides farmers with a one-stop shop for mechanised agricultural solutions, “advocates sustainable and appropriate farming technology”.

“Now more than ever, farmers must embrace science to produce more on less land, whilst being mindful of the environment,” he added.

The company’s mechanisation solutions include Massey Ferguson Tractors and implements, Baldan land preparation and planting equipment and sprayers. Through the partnership, FMD has also reached out to farmers to educate them on effects of climate change on agriculture; and environment conservation.

FMD promotes conservation tillage (or minimum tillage) as well as land preparation that creates growing crops in ways that conserve soil, water and energy resources through chisel ploughs, subsoilers for soil conditioning and sprayers, all which work behind a tractor.

Getting into conservation agriculture, the firm says, is capital intensive, but once the equipment is available, the yields increase year after year.

Eka Hotels is Standard Group’s other partner in the greening initiative, and has, through its foundation Amrit, which “promotes environmental conservation by encouraging use of environmental-friendly products, proper waste management and energy conservation practices such as the use of solar power,” has also immensely contributed towards conservation.