In a company-wide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, more than 160 Transguard Group employees showed their support for UAE Vision 2021 by cleaning up the Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary on Saturday, 18th January, 2020. The Sanctuary, which was formally declared a “Wetland of International Importance” under the Ramsar Accord in 2019, is maintained by the Emirates Marine Environmental Group under the authority of Dubai Municipality. It supports over 300 species, including the endangered Hawksbill Turtle and Green Turtle.
“A commitment to supporting and protecting the environment is one of the key pillars of Transguard’s CSR initiatives as part of our Dream 2020 CSR strategy,” said Greg Ward, Managing Director, Transguard Group. “Positive contributions to community projects involving conservation efforts such as the Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary are essential to communicating our values as a business.”
“At Transguard Group we consider it our responsibility as market leaders to support the larger community of the UAE through multiple collaborations with non-profit organisations,” said Lena ter Laare, Director of Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility. “An integral element of our all-encompassing Dream 2020 CSR programme is aimed at preserving the environment and the wellbeing of our people, creating and strengthening sustainable partnerships and having a measurable, positive impact on the community.”
The timing of the clean-up was aligned with the upcoming turtle nesting season in order to aid in providing a clean and safe environment before the nesting season. Both endangered species of turtle at the Sanctuary nest at approximately two-year intervals, laying hundreds of eggs each, which are incubated for 60-day periods.
The event, successfully co-ordinated by Transguard Group’s dedicated CSR team, resulted in over one and a half tons of material being removed from the site, including plastic, metal, glass, and rope; all of which are considered harmful to the biodiversity of the Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary.