Today's Edition
Khaled Al Khawaldeh (Abu Dhabi)
A new climate forum aimed at equipping board members with the knowledge and tools to make sustainable decisions for their businesses launched in the UAE on Thursday. The UAE branch of “Chapter Zero”, will join a growing network of 33 global chapters dedicated to influencing decision makers in the private sector to pursue environmental goals.
Speaking to Aletihad on the sidelines of the launch event held at Abu Dhabi’s Four Seasons Hotel, Katarina Uherova Hasbani, the Secretary of the UAE Chapter Zero Steering Committee, said the global organisation had already equipped over 100,000 board directors and was optimistic it would be welcomed by the UAE private sector.
“It's a first of its kind initiative in the UAE at that level, we are bringing a framework that has been created by the World Economic Forum. There are eight principles for what is called effective climate governance that we will be using to educate and equip board directors here in the UAE,” Katarina said.
“In the UAE, we already have so many companies with boards that are championing this agenda, but we want to increase the number of companies that do this.”
Launched in the UK in 2019, Chapter Zero provides resources, training, and a network to help board members understand climate risks and opportunities, supporting them in aligning corporate strategies with environmental goals and regulatory requirements.
Chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, and with major partners Mubadala, HSBC, Simmons and Simmons, UAE University and University of Dubai on board, Katerina expressed confidence that the initiative would succeed.
“It's all aligned with the National Climate Change plan, the UAE 2050, and the Net Zero strategy pathway. We are completely aligned with the government agenda; we can see that the government is currently preparing and adopting important pieces of legislation and regulation that will support climate action. So, we are coming at the right moment to make sure that the climate that the private sector follows,” she said.
“Our vision is that every organisation in the UAE has a climate target and a plan to implement it, so we really want to cut across different sectors of the economy here, make them aware, and have the education that is required in order to make this happen.”
Chapter Zero is set to hold several round-table events over the course of the next few months where they will be reaching out to get businesses on board.
