Today's Edition
YUSUF AL ARABI (ABU DHABI)
Global companies are competing to launch their sustainability innovations in the UAE, aligning with the country’s strategic initiative to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
In remarks to Aletihad, executives of global firms said that the UAE has created an inspiring and collaborative atmosphere that encourages companies of all sizes to take environmentally friendly projects. They highlighted the UAE’s rich record in the field of sustainability, supported by tangible goals and leading projects that preserve the environment and society.
The government is launching and implementing policies and encouraging practices to promote sustainable development at both local and global levels, including the National Green Agenda 2030, a long-term plan to achieve the goals of sustainable development in the UAE and make its economy more environment-friendly, the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, aiming to triple the contribution of the renewable energy.
The executives pointed out that the COP28 played a crucial role in developing solutions to the challenge of climate change, bringing together policymakers, companies, multilateral entities, academia, investors, and startups.
Taysir Awadah, Vice President of Planning and Engineering at FedEx Express Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa, affirmed that the UAE demonstrates clear leadership in sustainability, being the first country in the Middle East to ratify the Paris Agreement - a global treaty on climate change and committing to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
Awadah noted that with many programmes and initiatives implemented, such as investing in renewable energy projects and implementing waste management strategies, the UAE has created an inspiring and collaborative environment that encourages companies, regardless of their size, to take environmental action.
He said FedEx is fully aware that economic growth and sustainability must go hand in hand for the future of the planet, and it is reflected in their projects, mainly the company’s new regional centre in Dubai South, designed according to Dubai Municipality’s green building regulations and specifications. It includes solar panels that generate nearly one megawatt of energy. The surplus energy will be returned to Dubai’s electricity grid, supporting an increase in the share of clean energy in Dubai’s general electricity network.
The Power of Data“As the world’s largest express transportation company, we recognise the importance of taking necessary actions to address climate challenges and believe in the positive impact we can have on our industry, society, and economy,” he said.
Awadah added that in the UAE, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role, contributing up to 63.5% of the non-oil GDP. “Acknowledging the important role of SMEs, we also understand that these companies see the power of data in shaping a strong sustainability strategy,” he continued.
He affirmed that comprehensive insights into carbon emissions are vital for companies to make informed decisions and provide transparency. Digitising this data allows companies to identify carbon-intensive areas, improve energy efficiency, and seamlessly communicate metrics with stakeholders.
“The ‘FedEx Sustainability Insights’ tool embodies this principle, where this advanced cloud platform offers its customers almost real-time access to emissions data on the official site, both for individual shipments or aggregated historical account data, with some exceptions. Uniquely, the tool provides metrics such as mode of transport, type of service, and geographical areas,” Awadah noted.
He explained that, thanks to its user-focused design, companies can easily create emissions reports and export these results for sustainability reporting and strategic planning.
“Our commitment extends beyond technological solutions as we continue to support global NGOs, academic institutions, and environmental leaders through strategic charitable investments. These collaborations focus on creating sustainable cities, reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, and enabling our team members to participate in local environmental conservation efforts,”Awadah said.
“We continuously measure our progress against ambitious goals, which focus on achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2040. These goals drive our innovations and efforts to enhance the capabilities of our tools and also our services,”Awadah added.
Harnessing AI’s PotentialFor his part, Saad Toma, General Manager of IBM in the Middle East and Africa, highlighted the UAE’s rich record in sustainable work, which is supported by tangible goals and pioneering projects that preserve the environment and society.
Toma pointed out that IBM has collaborated with the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence to develop AI spatial geography technologies to reduce gaseous emissions, plan for urban heat islands, reforestation, and enhance climate resilience.
He explained that these models, trained on spatial geographic information like satellite images, represent a unique opportunity to combat climate change. Unlike traditional AI models designed for specialised tasks, spatial geographic foundation models, including satellite and weather data, provide knowledgeable representations using massive amounts of climate-related data, enabling rapid discovery of insights and environmental solutions.
Additionally, IBM announced a new partnership with the University of Sharjah, with the aim of providing sustainable water solutions, which will be scaled through IBM’s sustainability programme to benefit local communities across the Emirates. The University of Sharjah will build a model and application to monitor and predict water access conditions in the Middle East and North Africa region.
“We collaborate with the Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre to support its growth strategy, enhance their digital footprint, and build a sustainable strategy across various operations. This collaboration enables the centre to benefit from the application resource management capabilities provided by the Turbonomic programme for automating operations, improving the performance of digital infrastructure, and reducing costs,” he said.
In the telecommunications technology sector in the country, Etisalat uses IBM’s sustainability software to enhance the company’s environmental, social, and governance strategy. Etisalat aims to establish a solid foundation for sustainability standards by charting a course to achieve these goals using specific technologies for real estate and facility operations and for smart asset management, enhancing the efficiencies of its data centres and cloud environment, dynamically managing workloads, and minimising resource wastage, according to Toma.
The company has a set of key commitments that reflect its priorities to support a net-zero economy. IBM will achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and in 2022, it reduced emissions by 63.3% compared with the base year of 2010, he noted.
Furthermore, IBM will divert 90% of non-hazardous waste from landfills and incineration by 2025. It will also engage with 100 clients or research projects by 2025 for environmental purposes, having documented 40 such engagements or projects since January 2021, he added.
Green TechnologiesNeil Colquhoun, President of Epson Europe and the Middle East, said that the UAE plays an active role in climate change mitigation initiatives, embodying its readiness to contribute to global progress in this area by successfully hosting one of the most important events in this field, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).
With growing regional priorities for sustainability, initiatives such as the Environmental Vision 2030 (Abu Dhabi) and the Strategic Initiative for Climate Neutrality 2050 highlight the Middle East’s commitment to driving economic prosperity through environmentally conscious practices, he said.
Renewable energy initiatives, such as massive investments in renewable energy sources, especially solar power, are among the most prominent aspects of sustainable development. In this context, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai is one of the largest solar power complexes aiming to supply the region with clean energy, Colquhoun noted.
As a global technology company, Epson continues to seek innovative ways to enhance sustainability and set new standards for green technologies, according to Colquhoun.
Epson’s Environmental Vision 2050 sets new standards for corporate sustainability, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The company has committed to investing 770 million euros (approximately Dh3 billion) to enhance sustainability initiatives and make the company carbon-negative and independent of terrestrial natural resources by 2050.
Epson has recently renewed its corporate vision, “Epson 25”, focusing on four key priorities within its strategic framework: enhancing sustainability in the circular economy, pushing the boundaries of the industrial sector, improving quality of life, and fulfilling social responsibilities. To achieve these goals, Epson possesses the capabilities to stimulate innovation in six key areas: home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, industrial innovations, visual innovations, innovations related to modern lifestyle, and precision devices, he said.
“Epson looks through these initiatives to provide new innovative solutions such as the recently launched printing solutions that use up to 30% of recycled plastic and have minimal energy consumption,” Colquhoun added.
These solutions offer a sustainable and simplified digital transformation experience, while employing automation to avoid the overload of manual tasks. The solutions provided by Epson, such as the WorkForce series of business inkjet printers, use heat-free printing technology and Epson’s innovative Micro Piezo technology to help increase productivity, save energy, reduce waste, lower carbon dioxide emissions, save time, and reduce the necessary maintenance.
Elaborating the role of technology in reducing carbon emissions, he said that Epson employs advanced technologies and artificial intelligence to concretely reduce carbon emissions and implement its commitment to sustainability. Its main initiatives in this context include remote maintenance, technology and the use of robots in production processes, improving the supply chain, preventive maintenance, and smart energy management, where Epson integrates renewable energy sources into the network through the use of artificial intelligence in smart energy management.
Bridging Talent Gaps Vikram Malhotra, General Manager for the Middle East and North Africa region at Outsized, brought attention to the pivotal role of the UAE in promoting sustainability globally and its hosting of COP28. The conference’s goals align with the country’s long-term vision towards sustainability, showcasing innovative solutions to achieve this, stimulating opportunities for economic diversification, and enhancing knowledge exchange, affirming the UAE’s global leadership in addressing climate change.
Malhotra said that Outsized platform works to bridge talent gaps by facilitating access to a distinguished group of specialists and consultants for specific projects and for a limited duration, to support current teams, and to facilitate the integration of flexible, independent skills qualified to perform roles typically occupied by permanent employees.
This flexibility enhances the efficiency and speed of the workforce, helping companies adapt to changing needs and maintain their productivity, he added.
Malhotra noted that working with remote freelance skills reduces emissions, conserves resources, and enhances work-life balance, in line with the sustainability goals of the UAE and the environmentally friendly practices encouraged by the country.
Environmentally Friendly TravelAli Haidar, Regional Manager for the Middle East and Africa at Nomadic, said that the UAE’s hosting of the COP28 highlights the region’s commitment to tackling climate change. He cited a report published by Atmospheric Environment magazine, which shows that airlines contribute about 3.5% to climate change emissions.
He said: “Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our innovative approach to making travel more environmentally friendly through our mobile application and easy-to-use secure platform. Nomadic harnesses advanced technology to simplify and digitise the traveller data sharing process, which helps reduce paper consumption.”
