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Twenty one Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Managing Directors (MDs) from some of the highest-profile government entities, private companies and not-profit organizations in Abu Dhabi came together today at the 2nd Annual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group Meeting, aimed at discussing top-level strategies and recommendations for sustainability management across the fast-developing Emirate.
Prominent governmental and business leaders in Abu Dhabi were welcomed to the meeting by H.E Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency- Abu Dhabi (EAD on behalf of H.E Mohamad Ahmed Al Bowardi, Secretary General of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi and Managing Director of the EAD. HE Al Mansouri emphasized how Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification and physical development can be achieved while maintaining environmental and social cohesion.
Attendees went on to listen to a compelling presentation on ’The Case for Sustainability in Abu Dhabi’, presented by Darin Rovere, ADSG Consultant.
ADSG, a membership organization whose mission is to promote sustainability management by providing learning and knowledge sharing opportunities for government, private and not-profit organisations in the Emirate, was established in June 2008. Since then, 21 members have come on board, committing to developing sustainability management frameworks as a fundamental imperative in their own organisations. This commitment includes setting of policies which integrate economic, environmental and social performance and reporting. All members have signed the ADSG Declaration, publicly committing their organisations to adopting best practices in sustainability management and to actively participate in ADSG activities. As part of the Declaration, each member also commits to providing the necessary financial, technological and human resources to ensure that sustainability management is given prominence across the organisation and that it contributes on an ongoing basis to regular ADSG meetings and learning activities.
Today’s event provided a timely opportunity to review collective achievements so far and adopt a number of new resolutions.
Speaking about the ADSG, H.E Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary General of EAD comments: “The ADSG is a leadership forum so it is natural that we gather leading minds to discuss sustainability as an increasingly critical challenge and opportunity. We live in an age where financial profitability or efficiency key performance indicators are no longer enough. Every organisation has a responsibility to the community and to the environment in which it operates, and is now judged by its stakeholders accordingly."
He continues: “The commitment we have seen to ADSG by its members is representative of the collective will that I believe exists in Abu Dhabi to place the environment and society at the top of the local leadership agenda. We hope that today’s meeting will become another catalyst to support the integration of current best-practice sustainable management thinking into real-life business practice in Abu Dhabi."
The 21 members of ADSG are:
Government Agencies
• Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
• Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority
• Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority
• Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
• Department of Municipal Affairs
• Department of Economic Development
• Department of Transport
• Health Authority – Abu Dhabi
• Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council
• Zones Corp
Private Companies
• Al Dar
• Aramex
• Dolphin
• Etihad Airways
• Masdar
• Mubadala
• National Bank of Abu Dhabi
• Sorouh
Non-profit Organizations
• Emirates Foundation
• Khalifa Fund
In addition, the meeting was also attended by senior representatives from Abu Dhabi Education Council, Abu Dhabi Airport Company, Abu Dhabi Media Company, Etisalat, Tourism Development and Investment Company and Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care.
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