Hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group, ADSG, the fourth annual Abu Dhabi Sustainable Business Leadership Forum started in the capital today, bringing together some of the greatest names and companies at the forefront of sustainable business across the region.
Up to 200 of the region’s business leaders participated in a range of workshops, meetings and plenary sessions to spur on progress and sustainability work in the Emirate. The forum helped to promote UAE leadership sustainability initiatives, engaged thought leadership on key sustainability topics and raised awareness on the latest global trends.
During the event, which was attended by Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, EAD, the Arabic Natural Capital Protocol was launched. The launch is part of a wider collaborative effort between EAD, ADSG and the Natural Capital Coalition, NCC, to commence a series of workshops in the Emirate to engage with business on the concept of natural capital.
NCC is a global collaboration between more than 270 organisations, with wide representation from across the global economy. 38 diverse coalition organisations came together to deliver the world’s first Natural Capital Protocol, and almost 500 organisations provided input over the course of the two-year project. Due to exceptionally strong demand from organisations around the world, the Protocol will be translated into a number of languages in 2018.
The Natural Capital Protocol, which has been developed by ADSG, in collaboration with the NCC and EAD, is the first Arabic version, and positions Abu Dhabi as a leader in natural capital in the Gulf Region.
Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, said, "Many of our sustainability challenges can be addressed through natural capital approaches, to help organisations become more resilient, minimise risk and protect the environment. It is, therefore, my great pleasure to introduce you to the Natural Capital Protocol – the culmination of a collaborative project to help organisations better understand how their continued success depends on the health of natural capital, and whether they are having a positive or negative impact on this health."
Also speaking at the event, Mark Gough, NCC’s Executive Director, said, "As the demand for the Natural Capital Protocol continues to grow around the world, Protocol translations will become ever more crucial as a way to ensure that we are taking natural capital approaches to scale. We are grateful to the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group and the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi for stepping up to deliver the Protocol translation in the Arabic script."
Commenting on the Forum, Adel Ahmed Albuainain, CEO, Dolphin Energy Limited, said, "This year’s theme is of particular interest to us because as a company that already places a lot of value on natural capital, we are looking forward to contributing to the discussions, sharing our insights and collaborating with our peers. We are also keen to learn more about how we can use this platform to enhance our relationship with the environment, be more efficient and cost effective and drive our sustainability performance in the years ahead."
The Forum also highlighted the work the ADSG has been doing on the energy efficiency front, though a collaborative effort with the Energy Institute in the UK. Louise Kingham OBE FEI, Chief Executive, Energy Institute (EI) said, "The EI is pleased to see the focus on Natural Capital at the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Business Leadership Forum. The transition towards the sustainable use of energy is one of the great challenges facing the world today and, as a critical natural asset, energy forms a fundamental component of a Natural Capital way of thinking. The energy efficiency workshop run by the EI as part of the programme identified energy saving opportunities for the EAD and other government entities. We look forward to seeing those opportunities come to fruition."
Helen Slinger, CFO Leadership Network Director, the Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S), said, "Better information enables better decision making. The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations set out a consistent approach to assessing and disclosing climate-related risks and opportunities within mainstream financial filings. This allows improved company resilience, informed investor decisions and better evaluation of risks and exposures. A4S is supporting the TCFD by running implementation workshops and galvanising CFOs, Accounting Bodies and Pension Fund Chairs to publicly commit to implementing the recommendations."
Linden Coppell, Etihad Airways’ Head of Sustainability, said, "Etihad Airways is very pleased to support the Sustainable Business Leadership Forum which will bring to the forefront so many important industry topics and issues. There are so many world-leading initiatives currently taking place in Abu Dhabi and the forum – with its focus on natural resources – will make a strong contribution in this area and Etihad Airways, which has pioneered the development and use of biofuels in commercial aviation, is delighted to be playing a central role."