Summertown Interiors, the UAE's leading fit-out contractor specialising in green interiors, and green industry thought leaders met last week (Monday 7th November) to discuss the importance of corporate sustainability in the UAE. The roundtable discussion was held at the Summertown headquarters in Dubai with panelists agreeing that despite increased interest in building ‘green', the corporate and economic benefits of sustainability are still underestimated. Speakers included Marcos Bish, Managing Director of Summertown Interiors; Mario Seneviratne, Managing Director of Green Technologies; Tushant Suri, Sustainability Manager atMultiplex; and Dima Maaytah, Centre for Responsible Business at the Dubai Chamber. The discussion was moderated by Abdoullah Albizreh, Business Development Manager at Summertown Interiors. On the subject of how businesses in the region can be further encouraged to adopt sustainable practices, speakers praised the progressive measures the UAE Government is taking to make the country a successful global model of sustainable development. However, they maintained it is the responsibility of company leaders to take ownership and recognise the positive connection between their bottom lines and the implementation of a successful ‘green' strategy. The evolution of corporate governance to seamlessly integrate sustainable practises is vital to building corporate sustained value. Specifically, sustainable purchasing can be ingrained into a company's processes, which in the long-term will prove highly beneficial in not only minimising the environmental impact, but also ensure consistency in quality, and ultimately maintain a competitive edge. According to the panel representatives, sustainability should be considered a fundamental element for business' corporate strategies. Employees will be more engaged and work better together, costs will be managed more efficiently, and the company will gain credibility in the market. At the same time, the speakers agreed that these efforts must continue to be led and supported by the UAE Government's implementation of sustainable plans and policies. Marcos Bish, Managing Director of Summertown Interiors said: "Promisingly, companies in the UAE are slowly but surely starting to incorporate corporate sustainability practises into their business model. Dubai's commitment to becoming a world leading ‘green' city provides them with an opportunity to understand and implement strategies that can positively impact their bottom line. "However, UAE businesses are still considerably behind their Western counterparts and in order to progress, there must be more awareness of corporate sustainability as a business approach that creates long-term customer and employee value. Creating a ‘green' strategy that considers every dimension of how a business operates in the social, cultural, and economic environment should become the standard modus operandi, both in the UAE and worldwide." Mario Seneviratne, Managing Director of Green Technologies said: "Businesses need to think long-term and not short-term when it comes to corporate sustainability. We witness first-hand how CSR activities in the region are focused primarily on building a company's reputation with short terms goals that do not have a lasting impact. CSR must be considered an ongoing effort - by now we should stop talking about green buildings. All our buildings should be green, it is elementary." Speakers were encouraged by UAE Vision 2021, which aims to build an innovative, inclusive and resilient economy that raises standards of living and ensures environmental sustainability. Under this vision, the UAE is targeting to derive 24% of its energy from clean energy sources by 2021. However, further implementation of corporate sustainability strategies by business is critical in order to achieve its goals in such an ambitious timeframe.
