Health and climate experts have identified the sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) industry as a major driver of the climate crisis, urging Nigeria to implement measures to curb their consumption in the interest of public health and the environment.
Speaking on Friday at a webinar titled, “SSB and Climate Change: Climate Cost of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages,” organised by the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), they warned that excessive sugary drinks consumption is not only a risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), but that the single-use plastics (SUPs) favoured as packaging by the SSB industry emit greenhouse gases (GHG) alongside toxic pollutants that threaten human safety and food security.
To curb the problem, they advocated implementing an improved, effective and pro-health SSB Tax, the proceeds of which can be channelled towards strengthening the health sector to better cater for NCD patients.
CAPPA’s Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi, noted the webinar’s significance adding that it is coming at the end of the Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“The use of plastics by soda companies has been a significant contributor to climate change and Coca-Cola, for instance, has been named the world’s top plastic polluter followed by PepsiCo,” Oluwafemi added.
Public health expert and lecturer at the University of Ibadan Dr. Francis Fagbule, warned of the dangers of excessive SSB consumption, saying it could result in NCDs – non-infectious long-term health consequences that often create a need for long-term treatment and care, such as lung Diseases, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes, among others,
On the focus on SSBs despite other risk factors for NCDs, Fagbule explained that SSBs are among the leading sources of free sugars, and they contain little to no added nutritional value.
He noted that the SSB industry spends billions on marketing and advertising to attract consumers despite being aware of the health consequences of their products.
Fagbule added: “Increase in SSB consumption leads to increase in NCDs, so we need to decrease SSB consumption and the SSB Taxation is one of the best ways to achieve this.
“There is incontrovertible evidence linking SSB consumption and hypertension, even among adolescents and children.
“Studies show that SSBs may pose greater health risks, including the risk of metabolic syndrome, compared to sugar-containing solid foods.”
CAPPA’s Senior Programmes Manager and Head of its Climate Change Programme, Olamide Martins Ogunlade, highlighted the health implications associated with plastic waste while emphasizing the need for urgent action.
Speaking on the topic “Plastic Climate Change: Establishing the Nexus, Counting the Costs”, Ogunlade shared data showing that 40 per cent of the plastics produced worldwide have been traced to food and beverage packaging – typically used once and then discarded.
“Not only are single-use plastics warming the planet, but they are also impairing our environment and physical health. As plastics are discarded into the environment, they eventually break into microplastics that can leach toxic additives. These microplastics accumulate in commercially harvested fish, enters drinking water supplies, and seep into agricultural soils, altering food crops.
“Worst still, these SUPs now host and provide brands to most of the sugar- sweetened beverages (SSBs) in town, increasing the potency of their anticipated damage,” Ogunlade said.
He warned that exposure to toxic chemicals and microplastics through inhalation and ingestion can lead to serious health issues, including cancer and endocrine disruption, potentially affecting reproductive and cognitive functions.
Ogunlade noted that Nigeria’s plastic consumption has surged dramatically over the past 15 years with plastic consumption outstripping production, while less than 12 per cent is recycled.
Tracing the relationship between SUPs and climate change, he said: “Greenhouse gases (GHG) are emitted throughout the plastic life cycle. At the disposal stage, incineration of plastic waste releases significant GHG into the atmosphere, alongside toxic pollutants. Plastics also interfere with the ocean’s capacity to absorb and filter carbon dioxide threatening ocean life and diversity.
“Plastics don’t biodegrade. They take hundreds of years to break down. They build up in the environment, damaging soil, poisoning groundwater, and choking marine wildlife.”
As to how SUPs affect human health, he explained that the most common SUPs are found in cigarette butts, plastic drinking bottles, plastic bottle caps, food wrappers, etc.
“Humans are exposed to toxic chemicals and microplastics through inhalation, ingestion, and direct skin contact. They can then cause cancer, change hormone activity and break down the human system,” he added.
To address the challenges, Ogunlade suggested implementing various policies aimed at reducing plastic waste, including Nigeria’s National Policy on Plastic Waste Management. He further urged manufacturers to reduce their plastic footprint by redesigning packaging and adopting alternative materials.