Eiman Al Khalaqi

VP, Innovation, Abu Dhabi Ports Group

HOW ARE YOU CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE REGION?

AD Ports Group is committed to ensuring that the principles of environment, social and governance (ESG) are integrated into every segment of our operations. We are working to further both local and global sustainable development goals, addressing how we can best support the leadership of the UAE in achieving its vision of the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategic initiative, as well as the National Food Security Strategy 2051. AD Ports Group is consequently also striving to contribute towards the UAE’s efforts in reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

As a leading facilitator of global trade and logistics, AD Ports Group looks to achieve sustainable, sustained and responsible growth as a business that balances the needs of our people and our neighbours in the global community, while doing our best to protect an asset we all share – the planet.

AD Ports Group is supporting both UAE and global ambitions to achieve a healthy, secure and sustainable food supply chain through the development of Abu Dhabi Food Hub – KEZAD. We are also working towards a global, multi-stakeholder approach to global food security, by bringing the World Union of Wholesale Markets Conference to the Middle East for the first time as the hosts of WUWM Abu Dhabi 2022 in October.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, AD Ports Group worked towards sustainable global development in relation to medical access, by launching the HOPE Consortium in partnership with public and private entities in Abu Dhabi, including the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi. With the use of AD Ports Group’s Department of Health and ISO certified ultra-cold storage capacity of 19,000 sqm (the largest of its type in the region, capable of safely storing more than 120 million vaccines), the HOPE Consortium has successfully delivered over 250 million vaccine doses to over 60 countries, supporting global hopes for vaccine equity.

As a maritime business, AD Ports Group is looking closer to home to protect the health of our marine ecosystem, as well as terrestrial biodiversity in the UAE. As a part of this crucial work, AD Ports Group has been responsible for preserving and protecting Ras Ghanada, the Gulf’s largest coral reef. This work has involved crucial steps such as coral relocations, new recruits at environmental breakwater, monitoring marine water quality, developing an ecological marine monitoring programme, spiny tailed lizard relocation, as well as marine debris collection.

To ensure that our projects are developed in line with sustainable best practice, AD Ports Group has now implemented the Pearl Rating System for Estidama Building Standards. This gold standard of construction and urban planning was developed by Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council to promote responsible design and sustainable development.

We are also investing in our people to achieve a sustainable approach to human resources that addresses the future needs of society and employee quality of life.

To do this, we are making a sustained effort to invest in equal opportunity, talent acquisition, employee well-being, learning and development. As a consequence, AD Ports Group has achieved 67% increase in Emiratisation (across our team representing over 50 different nationalities), and over the past year we’ve seen a 71% increase in female employees and have achieved 85% employee satisfaction.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACE?

The ports, logistics and transport sectors have a crucial role to play in contributing toward the global target for decarbonisation.

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), shipping currently accounts for around 3% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with more than half of maritime emissions originating from ships berthed in ports.

In addition to diversifying their own energy sources, ports will also need to be prepared to provide refuelling facilities for the green ships of the future, an essential long-term capital investment. As an industry, we must closely monitor and take a proactive responsibility regarding our impact on marine and terrestrial biodiversity, energy and water consumption, climate change, promoting circularity, people and community welfare, and boosting economic growth.

Mindful of these pressing global challenges, AD Ports Group is working to develop strategies that will address each issue in a way that meets our sustainability standards, and as a result, we are working to ensure that sustainability is integrated into every segment of our operations.

HOW ARE YOU OVERCOMING CHALLENGES?

Demonstrating AD Ports Group’s commitment to facilitating the UAE’s efforts to reach net-zero and support the UN SDGs, we have developed a Sustainability Taskforce, which supports action on sustainability priorities identified by our Sustainability Committee. Following extensive consultation with internal and external stakeholders to determine our strategy in this area, AD Ports Group has been working to promote clean energy, sustainable growth, vibrant ecosystems, and circular resource use.

For example, AD Ports Group has undertaken an annual inventory of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to enable us to take affirmative action to reduce energy and water consumption. Taking a proactive approach on monitoring and reducing our emissions has led to several tangible successes in this area. We have successfully decreased fuel consumption intensity per TEU by 32%, despite also experiencing a 22%increase in TEUs handled. We have also achieved 95%compliance rate for ambient air quality, and a 99% compliance rate for seawater quality.

In 2021, AD Ports Group experienced a 24% decrease in solid waste generated and illustrating the same proactive approach to circular resource use, we have reached a rate of more than 47% solid waste recycling. As a measure of the work that we have undertaken and achieved to date towards our sustainability strategy, AD Ports Group is proud to have had our efforts recognised and awarded by a number of leading global bodies. Our awards in this space include the International CSR Excellence Award and the CSR World Leaders Award from The Green Organisation, as well as an Investors in People platinum level accreditation.