There is no doubting it. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the best locations in the world in which to do business, with major markets to the east and west. Foreign entrepreneurs and investors have been tripping over themselves for years trying to grab a piece of the action. And it is little wonder given all of the incentives and help available to them thanks to the proactive and forward-looking stance taken by the UAE government.
Huge banking is there, too, both domestic and multinational, from Emirates NBD to HSBC. One way or another, they all lend active support to the plethora of large and small-scale enterprises now operating across the UAEs unique economic and business landscape. The range of services offered by the banking sector is quite staggering, with everything from payments and cash management to the simple business bank account available, almost on demand.
Of course, all of this incredible endeavour comes at a cost in terms of the countrys carbon footprint. However, the UAE government takes its green responsibilities very seriously indeed. Masdar City, for example, a low-carbon low-waste development near Abu Dhabi, which aims to be one of the worlds most sustainable cities, is surely proof of that.
But having such a ground-breaking development, though laudable, is all well and good. Every organisation and business across the land needs to become engaged and involved in the fight to save the planet. To leave it all to government is to ignore the responsibility which all businesses share.
Sad to say, many of todays offices are typically a million miles away from green. But with a little thought and effort, such offices can provide the perfect opportunity for any company looking to improve its green credentials. Lots can be done quickly and simply and without cost to the company. In fact, with a little bit of luck, some substantial savings are entirely possible. That is one way to grab the attention of the boss!
Planning
Planning is at the heart of any green initiative and is an excellent way to mark progress, no matter whether each step taken is a small or a large one. Once a plan is formulated, it should be placed somewhere where all office employees can see it. Nothing builds up enthusiasm or encourages more involvement than seeing each step of a plan ticked off when a particular target has been reached.
Waste
Waste eats up resources and can cost any company huge amounts of money every year. In this paperless age, is it not time to cut down on the use of paper, for example? The point is, if email is available in this highly connected world then why not use it instead of memos, costly reports or other paper documents? Kind of makes sense?
Share
Yes, why not share and consolidate energy-hungry resources such as printers and other equipment duplicated across different departments. Often such equipment is left switched on, lying idle for hours on end and wasting electricity in the process. Instead, choose a central point and install maybe one or two printers, or whatever the equipment happens to be. Then let everyone have equal access and watch the electricity bill tumble.
Commuting
We are talking car sharing here, especially if most employees in the office drive to work. What a great opportunity to help drive down CO2 emissions by reducing the number of individual car journeys to work each day. Should help with traffic congestion, too. Why not encourage employees to pedal to work on a bike, or make more use of public transport? Both modes of transport are eco-friendly and good news for the planet!
Want to know more about the goings-on at Masdar City? Then click here.