Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Tadweer Group has launched its Green Finance Framework — a roadmap that links future financing to its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy through eligible green investments.
The framework establishes a structured process for financing green projects, setting clear criteria for fund allocation, project evaluation, management of proceeds, and transparent reporting.
It reinforces Tadweer’s ESG and circular economy goals while promoting sustainable finance, transparency, and collaboration to accelerate the transition toward a greener financial system.
Speaking to Aletihad, Shariq Daudi, CFO at Tadweer Group, elaborated on the framework: “The framework ties funding to Tadweer Group’s ESG and circularity strategy and defines clear eligible green categories. Eligible projects span renewable energy, waste, water and wastewater, clean transport, and circular-economy technologies. It also supports Tadweer Group’s long-term decarbonisation roadmap and integrates climate risk considerations into project selection.”
The framework was developed in collaboration with various industry experts, including First Abu Dhabi Bank and Standard Chartered, which served as the sustainability structuring and co-ESG advisors. They provided valuable expertise and insights to support the framework’s development, ensuring alignment with the ICMA Green Bond Principles (GBP) and the LMA Green Loan Principles (GLP).
Moody’s Ratings, one of the world’s leading credit rating agencies, also issued a Second Party Opinion (SPO) with an SQS2 Sustainability Quality Score of “very good”.
“Moody’s SPO highlights best practice features that support investor confidence… and validates Tadweer Group’s ESG integration and stakeholder engagement practices,” Daudi said.
“Alignment with ICMA GBP and LMA GLP enables issuance of green bonds, sukuk, and loans, supporting broader capital-markets access,” he added.
Through green financing, core waste and recycling projects can be scaled, and circular innovation funded, encouraging partnerships with startups and academia to accelerate the commercialisation of emerging circular technologies, Daudi said.
“The framework pairs Abu Dhabi’s circular economy mandate with recognised market principles and external scrutiny. Tadweer Group is the sole custodian of Abu Dhabi waste management with a diversion goal of 80% by 2030.”
Eng. Ali Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and CEO of Tadweer Group, commented: “By aligning our future financing with ESG principles, as well as the circular economy, we are reinforcing our commitment to responsible growth and value creation.”
Daudi noted that Tadweer Group is committed to publishing allocation and impact reports with defined indicators such as GHG reduction, renewable energy generation, waste-to-energy recovery, clean vehicles, and secondary raw materials.
Future plans also include expanding into nature-based and biodiversity-linked initiatives in line with evolving ESG priorities.
Mohamed Salama, Regional Head of Coverage, Corporate and Institutional Banking, UAE, Middle East and Pakistan, Standard Chartered, said: “This [Green Finance Framework] not only reinforces Tadweer’s leadership in sustainability but also encourages other organisations across the region to integrate environmental considerations into their financial strategies."
Martin Tricaud, Group Head of Wholesale Banking at FAB, added: “Through this framework, we have laid a foundation that connects Tadweer Group’s future financing to its ESG strategy and deliver sustainable growth.”
Tadweer Group currently has a robust pipeline of waste-to-energy, recycling, and recovery projects.
Governance is ensured through a Green Finance Working Group, a Treasury-managed proceeds register, and annual allocation and impact reports with external checks, supported by audit oversight and escalation protocols for ESG risks.
Eligible “waste” activities include waste sorting, recycling, treatment, composting, biogas capture, and circular-economy initiatives such as R&D, recycled-content manufacturing, repair, and reuse.
