The National Commission of Angola for UNESCO (CNU), Coca-Cola/Refriango, and the Nação Verde Association (ANV) signed a cooperation protocol today in Luanda to install recycling points in 10 schools in the capital and train students and teachers in environmental education. The "Environmental Education in Schools" initiative strengthens Coca-Cola and Refriango’s ongoing efforts in promoting environmental sustainability, waste collection and treatment in the country, and ocean preservation.
Luanda, April 17, 2023 – The "Environmental Education in Schools" project, launched today in Luanda by the CNU-Angola, Coca-Cola/Refriango, and ANV, will bring environmental education to ten schools in Luanda. The initiative will benefit about 20,000 students aged 13 and above with training and awareness activities on the importance of waste collection and treatment and how to contribute to environmental sustainability in the country. Teachers will also receive specific training on the topic.
The protocol between the CNU, Coca-Cola/Refriango, and ANV also includes the installation of recycling points in the 10 secondary schools affiliated with UNESCO’s Associated Schools Network.
The selected schools for the "Environmental Education in Schools" project are: the Instituto Médio de Economia de Luanda, Instituto Médio Industrial de Luanda, Instituto Médio Comercial de Luanda, Instituto de Telecomunicações de Luanda, Instituto Médio Politécnico Alda Lara, Complexo Escolar Teresiana de Viana, Colégio nº 1140 1º de Maio, Colégio Nº 1124 Nzinga Mbande, Escola de Saúde Castelo, and Liceu nº 5106 Neves Bendinha.
To mark the International Oceans Day, which will be celebrated on June 8, the protocol between UNESCO, Coca-Cola/Refriango, and ANV also establishes the "Planet Ocean: The Tides are Changing" competition. This initiative is part of the "Ocean Movement" and challenges students and teachers from the participating schools to propose solutions to combat plastic pollution in the oceans, in line with the 14th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal for 2030, which aims to conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. The winning project will be awarded at the Ecological Fair of the National Commission of Angola for UNESCO, scheduled for June 5, World Environment Day, in Luanda.
During the event, which was opened by the Secretary of State for Environment, Paula Coelho, the Permanent Secretary of the National Commission of Angola for UNESCO, Alexandre de Sousa Costa, stated that "environmental education in schools is one of the solutions to current environmental crises, as we must prepare students and teachers so they can contribute to these issues, raise awareness of these challenges, and become waste managers. This will help ensure sustainable development in harmony with the guidelines established by International Organizations and adopted by Angola."
With a long history of environmental awareness in Luanda, ANV will take on the task of training students and teachers, as well as managing the recycling points in schools and collecting the solid waste deposited in them. For Nuno Cruz, president of the association, "it is essential to develop environmental education projects in educational institutions because it stimulates the socio-environmental consciousness of the school community." According to him, "the implementation of recycling points in schools contributes, to some extent, to meeting the challenges of eliminating urban solid waste pollution in communities. At the same time, it stimulates the valorization of waste, promotes reverse logistics, and supports the circular economy."
The "Environmental Education in Schools" project also reaffirms Coca-Cola's prominent role in promoting environmental sustainability in Angola. Paula Lima, Senior Marketing Manager at Coca-Cola Angola, believes that "environmental education is a safe bet due to its multiplier effect and potential to create conscious and active citizens." "These are the change agents we need. Students in this program will learn how to change their consumption behaviors and how to intervene positively in our surroundings. Environmental sustainability is a long-term project in which we all need to participate. Through the JAMII platform and the World Without Waste campaign, Coca-Cola takes responsibility for driving and involving all citizens in this urgent mission, making Angola a cleaner, more resilient country with a healthy environment that benefits not only us but also future generations."
Tânia Jardim, Marketing Administrator at Refriango, the company that produces and distributes Coca-Cola brands in Angola, emphasized that "the protocol signed today strengthens the intention of Refriango and UNESCO, now in collaboration with ANV, to contribute to the development and training of young people in health, civic education, and environmental education, a goal first formalized in December last year." "We believe that partnerships between different stakeholders around such an important common good as environmental sustainability are essential. It is vital that we are all aligned – institutions, businesses, and civil society – and in this regard, Refriango has stood out for high-impact social responsibility actions. Together with partners, we always work to ensure that the projects we design and execute have a future vision and can truly make a difference in society, communities, and the country." In this sense, she continued, in addition to the "Environmental Education in Schools" project, "the current protocol also aims to stimulate the creation of sustainable ecological projects within the student community."
Alongside the programs launched today, Coca-Cola and Refriango are running a series of projects with partner institutions that reinforce environmental sustainability in the country. These actions include beach clean-ups, environmental education and awareness in schools and communities, and promoting the circular economy. Earlier this year, an ambitious initiative saw the installation of eight recycling points in Luanda aimed at recycling and reusing paper, cardboard, glass, and PET plastic, with the goal of collecting over 5,000 tons of solid waste by the end of the year.
