Sugary Drinks Industry Blamed for Climate Crisis
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
Experts have linked sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) industry to climate crisis, citing environmental and health dangers.
Speaking at a webinar themed “SSB and Climate Change: Climate Cost of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages,” organised by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, they warned that single-use plastics (SUPs) used in SSB packaging emit harmful greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants, while excessive SSB consumption contributes to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cancer.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, noted that major soda brands like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are among the top plastic polluters globally.
Public health expert, Dr. Francis Fagbule stressed that SSBs are a major source of “empty calories” linked to hypertension and metabolic disorders, even in children.
He advocated for an improved SSB tax to curb consumption and fund healthcare.
CAPPA’s Olamide Ogunlade, on his part, emphasised the broader environmental toll of plastics, which make up 40% of food and beverage packaging and highlighted their role in warming the planet, polluting oceans, and exposing humans to toxic microplastics linked to cancer and endocrine disorders.
These experts urged Nigeria to enforce stricter plastic waste management policies, encourage sustainable packaging, and implement an effective SSB tax to protect public health and the environment.
