In a bid to ensure sustainable cities and communities under the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 of the United Nations (UN), Keystone Bank Limited has partnered with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) on a tree planting campaign in Lagos State. The trees are expected to absorb carbon dioxide in the environment and create an ecosystem that will help to reduce pollution.
Speaking on the campaign in Lagos recently, Mr. Adeyemi Odusanya, an Executive Director of the bank, said some staff members of Keystone Bank recently visited the NCF office in Lagos to plant some Mahogany trees.
He said the objective was to further the operations of the bank with the Sustainable Development Goals , adding that under the arrangement, NCF will nurture the plants to maturity.
The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They were set in 2015 by the UN General Assembly and intended to be achieved by the year 2030.
The SDGs include: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
Others are Reducing Inequality, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life On Land, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and Partnerships for the Goals. The goals are broad based and interdependent.
Under the SDG 11 of Sustainable Cities and Communities, cities and human settlements are expected to be safe, resilient and sustainable. The target for 2030 is to ensure access to safe and affordable housing while the indicator that will be used to measure progress toward this target is the proportion of urban population living in slums or informal settlements.