Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The second annual Global Sustainability Forum in Abu Dhabi on Monday gathered sector leaders to explore sustainable technologies, the role of AI in addressing climate and nature, and the use of data to quantify climate risk.
Hosted by ADNOC, the CSO Network, and the New York Stock Exchange at the Abu Dhabi Energy Center, the event served as a vital platform to maintain the momentum and successes of the COP28 Inaugural Global Sustainability Forum, laying the foundation for impactful discussions at COP29.
Speaking to Aletihad on the sidelines of the event, Ibrahim Al Zu’bi, Chief Sustainability & ESG Officer at ADNOC Group, said that ADNOC approaches sustainability with a triple bottom line approach, encompassing social, economic, and environmental aspects.
“We look at the health and safety, the wellbeing of our staff, the climate impact, the natural environment, as well as our economic impact on the country,” he said.
In the short term, the Group aims to reduce carbon intensity by 25% by 2030, with more than $23 billion allocated as decarbonisation budget.
To address the socio-economic aspect, the Group also redirected over $11 billion through their in-country value programme, focusing on diversity and gender.
Al Zu’bi further asserted that ADNOC is part of the UAE’s commitment to COP28’s historic consensus agreement and aims to future-proof the country and the company.
ADNOC implemented over 30 AI tools in 2022 and 2023, resulting in savings of up to $500 million in revenue in addition to reducing more than one million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
This edition of the Global Sustainability Forum, involving over 460 participants, discussed AI and technology investments for sustainability and climate targets, with a focus on sustainability at all levels, as per Al Zu’bi.
Over 85 companies joined this year, partnering with the IFC and the World Economic Forum, he noted.
“So, for ADNOC, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. It is implemented in all our operations, including our headquarters. We ensure that we influence our supply chain and procurement system, encouraging others to join us on this journey,” Al Zu’bi added.
Aletihad also interviewed Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Co-Founder & Chief Impact Officer of Seafood Souq, an Emirati company that has developed a range of technology products to facilitate the trade and traceability of seafood throughout the supply chain.
He stated that the platform ensures all products are trusted, traced, and traded transparently.
The company began five years ago by building tools for firms across the seafood supply chain to identify the source of seafood. Currently, it exports its technology globally.
In their efforts to enhance transparency, and ensure economic protection, Al Qasimi indicated that they digitised 65% of pole and line tuna fisheries in South Africa.
“We are looking forward to building these tools for different fisheries across the UAE, encompassing all seven emirates. Last year, in 2023, we traced about 13 million kilogrammes of seafood, providing transparency and traceability regarding its source. Why is this important? On the economic side, it is crucial because there are communities worldwide that depend on fishing, and we need to ensure we protect their income,” Al Qasimi said.
He also stressed the importance of consumers ensuring that they are buying the correct fish, as mislabelled fish can cause health issues. Furthermore, traceability is essential not only for environmental protection but also for ensuring accurate information about ocean fish extraction, he added.
As for future plans, Al Qasimi said that the company aims to utilise AI tools.
“One of the most important points that we highlighted in our session on the future of AI is that, for industries like seafood, it is crucial for the government, the technology sector, and the larger corporate sector to collaborate on finding solutions. These solutions will enable us to deploy these technologies for the betterment of humanity and the environment.”
