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Organisations and individuals championing sustainability in the region were recognised yesterday at the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Business Leadership Awards.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG), the awards are the region’s only independent annual awards for sustainability achievements. The five award categories are; Best Sustainability Report, Best Sustainability Initiative, Sustainability Leader of the Year, Sustainability Manager of the Year, and Best Sustainability Communication Programme. This year, there was a new category - Best Energy Management Initiative - judged by the Independent Energy Institute.
Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary-General, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, EAD, regional and international dignitaries and ministers attended the awards ceremony, while a selection of high profile speakers shared their thoughts and expertise on the Emirate’s sustainability challenges and opportunities.
In his welcome speech, Dr. Abdulla Zamzam, Assistant Secretary-General of Operations at the EAD, highlighted the importance of recognising sustainability excellence as a way to encourage other organisations in the region to consider their impacts and dependencies on the natural world.
The theme 'Taking Nature into Account' framed this year's awards ceremony, where Mark Gough, Executive Director, Natural Capital Coalition, provided the keynote speech, stressing how a natural capital approach allows businesses to streamline their operations, conduct more effective risk assessments and enhance business capability.
Huda Al Houqani, Director of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group, said, "Through these awards, we want to highlight the wealth of benefits of sustainable management practices for organisations, and use this platform as an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between our members, and open more opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing."
The judging panel, selected for their sustainability expertise, consisted of Laila Abdullatif, Director-General of Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF, Dr. Jenny Davidson, Director for Learning and Teaching in the Exec Ed Department at Newcastle Business School, and Mark Gough, Executive Director, Natural Capital Coalition. The panel was looking for outstanding examples of a strong commitment to sustainability, by embracing innovative approaches and showing a clear understanding of the strategic importance of sustainability in their organisation.
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, ENEC, was awarded Best Sustainability Report, for the way they effectively presented their environmental, social and economic performance.
The Best Sustainability Initiative went to Dubai Supreme Council of Energy for their Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy (CAS 2021).
Saeed Alabbar, the Managing Director of AESG (firm specialising in the provision of energy and sustainability consultancy in the Middle East), picked up the award for Sustainability Leader of the Year for clearly showing how he has led his organisation with sustainability challenges and opportunities at the forefront.
Phillipa Grant, Division Manager - Energy and Sustainable Development at AESG, was awarded Sustainability Manager of the Year for her ability to identify and integrate sustainability-related opportunities.
The award for Best Sustainability Communication Programme went to Borouge for their Sustainable Campus Initiative, which aims to strengthen and build sustainable leadership capacity amongst the youth.
The new award category launched this year - Best Energy Management Initiative - was awarded to Dubai Supreme Council of Energy for their Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy, which was deployed based on a world-class regulatory framework to accelerate the diversification of energy mix, ensure security of supply and facilitate effective demand-side management.
The event was sponsored by Dolphin Energy and supported by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, and Etihad Airways.
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