As the global urban population continues to rise, cities will need to take steps to ensure that energy efficiency is increased and that serious steps are taken to cut pollution. It is increasingly becoming apparent that living and working responsibly must be part of any future city discussion. Just like other cities, in the era of globalization, there is need to make Nairobi well-organized and livable. It is only by doing so that the city will have a better chance of continuing to attract businesses and to do so there is a need for Nairobi to adopt and fully implement the green movement initiative, and one effective way for cities like Nairobi to combat the effects of pollution is to go green the LG way.
Nairobi is not only important due to the fact that it houses some over three million inhabitants, but it is also a city with political importance seen in the fact that it hosts the biggest United Nations center outside the developed world, with bodies like the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and UN Habitat being housed here.
On the commercial front, the African or regional operations of many global businesses are run from Nairobi, with a number of firms firmly sold to the idea that in order to make meaningful forays into the region, they have to fly their sorties from Nairobi. Among the transnationals that run their African/regional businesses from Nairobi are General Electric, Coca Cola, Nokia, IBM, Google, Microsoft and Visa, among others.
The physical growth of Nairobi also means that its capacities and facilities are stretched. With the city’s population projected to hit 5.2 million on an annual growth rate estimated at 5.5 per cent. Today, Nairobi is the most populous city in eastern Africa, and is estimated to host over three million people, besides being the 14th largest on the African continent, with a total area of about 696 km2. Just like other cities, this mass migration into cities is putting immense pressure on infrastructure as Nairobi strives to serve its growing population while still striving to maintain people’s standard of living.
To help cities such as Nairobi leverage the effects of growing population that include increased pollution, South Korean Electronics titan LG is taking deliberate steps in developing innovative, eco-friendly products. By cooperating with other firms, LG has been able to combine the knowledge and experience of other companies with its own technological know-how to design green, revolutionary products and keep up with emerging trends – products that are meant to help nationalities and cities go green the LG way.
“The problems posed by pollution affect us all and both the private and public sector need to cooperate in order to effectively reduce the negative impact on the environment,” says Moses Marji, General Manager Marketing LG Electronics.
Mr. Marji is calling on companies to invest in new climate control solutions which immediately
The control solutions are deemed to increase efficiency to increase livability in Kenya’s capital and other urban areas. The electronic manufacturer is looking to use the company’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning products (HVAC) solutions provide climate control for power plants, district cooling and commercial buildings. LG says that by embracing such solutions, the city is one step closer to improving the quality-of-life (QoL) of its residents.
Additionally, LG has been rooting for the design of products with capabilities to help users reduce energy consumption. By decreasing overall energy use, these products save consumers money in the long run through lower energy bills, and the corresponding decrease in electricity demand leads to a drop in pollution.
The company has in the recent past received awards for its energy conserving OLED TVs the televisions in series were all awarded for reduced emission after extensive testing. The company is also leading the way in designing competitive washing machines. For example, the LG EcoHybrid dryer in its washing machines recycles heat to save up to 53 percent more energy than typical dryers.
These examples go to show LG’s leadership in developing products in response to modern concerns such as overpopulation and current renderings of modern cities which emphasize sustainability, livability, convenience and safety.
