The official launch of Eni Côte d'Ivoire's Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Week 2026 took place on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Abidjan Airport. The event's patron, the Minister of the Environment and Ecological Transition, Abou Bamba, used this platform to issue a stark warning against the accelerating problem of plastic pollution.

Under the banner of collective responsibility and safety, this edition aims to firmly establish a culture of prevention and environmental protection within Eni and its partners. As a prelude, a public cleanup operation ("Beach Cleaning") conducted last weekend resulted in the cleaning of two kilometers of coastline and the removal of more than seven tons of plastic from the environment.

The plastic emergency in figures

Minister Abou Bamba presented an alarming assessment of the situation, based on local and international data:

1. Globally: 11 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans every year (source: UNEP).
2. In Ivory Coast: Of the more than 460,000 tonnes produced annually, half is directly released into the environment. The recycling rate there is negligible (between 3% and 20%).
3. The critical case of Abidjan: The capital produces approximately 280 tons of plastic waste per day. Only 10% is collected and barely 3% is recycled.

"If we do not change our production and consumption patterns, this volume could almost double by 2040," the minister warned, recalling the devastating effects of this pollution on biodiversity, tourism, fishing and human health through the ingestion of microplastics.

Threats to the economy and a reminder of the law

Beyond the ecological crisis, Abou Bamba highlighted the World Bank's alarming projections regarding the impact of climate change on the Ivorian economy. If nothing changes, rising sea levels and flooding could reduce the country's real GDP by 13% by 2050 , pushing 1.6 million people into poverty .

Faced with this scenario, the minister reiterated the strength of the regulatory framework, particularly the 2013 decree banning single-use plastic bags, the violation of which is subject to heavy penalties. The national ambition remains clear: to promote the circular economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33.07% by 2030 .

Eni Côte d'Ivoire set as an example

While calling on the entire private sector to strictly comply with the Environmental Code, the minister praised Eni Côte d'Ivoire's commitment, illustrated by the publication of its 2024 local sustainable development report and its concrete actions on the ground.

"HSE culture is not a constraint, but a strategic investment," he stated before officially opening the proceedings.

The general manager of Eni Côte d'Ivoire, Luca Faccenda, followed in the minister's footsteps by reaffirming that the HSE approach constitutes "a fundamental value" for the company, inextricably linking the safety of teams to the preservation of ecosystems and dialogue with local communities.

HSE Week 2026 will continue throughout the week with a series of workshops, training sessions and awareness campaigns for all employees of the group.