Old Mutual East Africa (OMEA) has officially joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), reinforcing its long-standing dedication to sustainable and responsible business practices. The announcement marks a major milestone in the company’s 180-year legacy of ethical leadership and positions OMEA as a regional frontrunner in corporate sustainability.
The UN Global Compact is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, uniting over 20,000 companies committed to aligning their strategies and operations with ten universal principles covering human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption.
By joining the initiative, OMEA pledges to integrate these principles deeply into its corporate strategy and operations, while publishing transparent, annual sustainability progress reports.
The company also revealed plans to launch its first Sustainability Report, becoming one of the region’s early adopters of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Sustainability and Climate-related Disclosure Standards.
“Old Mutual East Africa has long supported the objectives of the UNGC through our parent company, Old Mutual Limited. Localising our membership allows us to participate more actively in East Africa’s sustainability agenda and strengthen African representation in global sustainability dialogues,” said Arthur Oginga, OMEA Group CEO.
In response to rising global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and governance failures, OMEA has adopted a comprehensive sustainability framework grounded in the IFRS S1 and S2 standards.
This framework is structured around four pillars: Stronger Communities, Stronger Planet, Stronger Business, and Stronger Systems, which guide the company’s contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Under the Stronger Communities pillar, OMEA has focused on financial inclusion and human development. The company has reached over 1.2 million individuals with financial literacy content through digital platforms, community outreach, and youth-focused programs. Internally, its Thrive wellness platform has gained traction among employees, with 60 percent enrollment and significant engagement in financial education.
The Stronger Planet and Stronger Business pillars reflect OMEA’s environmental leadership. Investments include green-certified student housing and conservation efforts like the rehabilitation of 60 hectares in the Aberdare National Park in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service.
With an 80 percent vegetation survival rate, the initiative underlines OMEA’s nature-positive approach. The company is also one of the region’s pioneers in implementing the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework.
Meanwhile, the Stronger Systems pillar highlights the company’s governance standards. OMEA has established a cross-functional Executive Sustainability Committee chaired by the Group CEO and a Board-level ESG structure to ensure top-level accountability and strategic coherence.
OMEA’s UNGC membership builds on an existing web of sustainability alliances. It is an active member of the African Natural Capital Alliance and collaborates with the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership through its Corporate Leaders Group platform.
With this latest move, Old Mutual East Africa is not only reaffirming its dedication to responsible business but also setting a new benchmark for sustainability leadership in the region