ADAC joins ADSG to promote sustainability in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) hosted a two-day workshop of the General Secretariat of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG) to develop latter's value proposition and business model. Incubated by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) with the support of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi Emirate, the ADSG is a membership-based organization whose mission is to promote sustainability management in Abu Dhabi by providing learning and knowledge sharing opportunities for government, private companies and not for profit organizations in a spirit of cooperation and open dialogue. At present, the ADSG has 26 members and is open to organizations willing to practice and champion sustainability in Abu Dhabi. The workshop agenda included group meetings geared towards agreeing on a five year plan to establish the organisation's structure, policies and roles in line with Abu Dhabi Government's Policy Agenda 2030. The workshop was attended by members of the General Secretariat of the ADSG, along with representatives from various government entities, private sector and non-profit organisations including the host, ADAC. James Bennett, Chief Executive Officer at ADAC, commented: "As partners in the development of Abu Dhabi, every government agency or company in the Emirate has a responsibility to actively participate and contribute to creating a sustainable eco-system. Planning around environmental sustainability contributes directly to the economic success of any company while benefiting and preserving the planet and its resources, which makes ADAC a proud member of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group." Over the two days of the workshop, members of ADSG discussed the new strategy, which describes strategic goals of their plan to promote sustainability management in Abu Dhabi. These goals focus on raising awareness and understanding of sustainability, facilitating the adoption of sustainability management and reporting practises, sharing and learning about sustainability, supporting and promoting sustainability initiatives within the Emirate, creating opportunities for international cooperation and recognition and build an excellent, autonomous and sustainable organisation. Members also discussed the current state of sustainability management in the emirate, and proposed initiatives to achieve their goals. On this occasion, Razan Al Mubarak, Secretary General of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), said: "ADSG is an exceptional platform to promote and implement environmental sustainability into the operational plans of various stakeholders, from government to private and non-profit sectors. Furthermore, it is a mechanism for EAD and all members to engage stakeholders to achieve the environmental objectives of the Emirate. In only three years, the ADSG has played a large role in helping to establish Abu Dhabi as a global leader in government sustainability reporting. We must continue to push for making sustainability a recognised performance standard for any Abu Dhabi-based organisation. The ADSG continues to welcome any organisation which is serious about practicing and championing sustainability in Abu Dhabi."