As UAE heads towards its ambitious targets of Net Zero 2050 steadily, several firms are contributing too towards the goal by switching to electric bikes and opting for efficient energy systems in their buildings.
This was disclosed at an event titled Road to COP28 that talked about driving collective climate action in the UAE. Dwelling on their efforts, Salwa al Maflahi from Aldar Properties elaborated on the investments done by developers to the tune of Dh70 million in upgrading the fittings of their old properties to increase their energy efficiency as per green building regulations, said “It is one of the best investments we have made. It led to a reduction of 20 per cent annually in water and energy emissions.”
The ‘Road to COP28’ was held in Dubai and was hosted by the High-Level Champions and the Dubai Chamber, supported by the COP28 Presidency. It witnessed key segments of society to drive efforts towards inclusive climate progress ahead of the UAE-hosted climate summit.
Following the goal 2050 of Susanna Elias-Stulemeijer, the VP of Communications and Sustainability at the delivery firm, Talabat said, “The organisation was slowly moving to e-bikes for making their deliveries, as part of their commitment to contributing to Net Zero 2050.We have just started using e-bikes two weeks ago, our CEO did a test drive and now we have some of these bikes plying across the Palm.”
Speaking on the occasion, Abdulla Bin Touq, UAE’s Minister of Economy urged organisations to not wait for the government and to begin their works on a more sustainable model of doing business.
He also noted that the COP28 will serve as a global platform that will provide the needed impetus to the “collective action to tackle climate change, reduce carbon footprint, achieve sustainable and comprehensive development, and create a better future for current and future generations.”
Targeting climate change and sustainability, several corporates expressed their commitment to invest heavily into the sector.
Wael Ismail, VP Communications and Government Affairs of PepsiCo, pointed out, “Investing in the environment is more important than ever.No matter where you look, everything we do related to the climate has a big impact across the supply chain.If the supply chain is not resilient and we don’t expand our agricultural footprint, once a flood hits or you are running out of water, you have not business to run.”
