Business | Economy
Consumers will be key driver for greener malls
In recent weeks, this column has been a useful forum with which to discuss some of the potential development and growth areas that the retail sector in the Middle East has the opportunity to explore.
- By Neil Tunbridge, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 23:31 February 4, 2008
In recent weeks, this column has been a useful forum with which to discuss some of the potential development and growth areas that the retail sector in the Middle East has the opportunity to explore.
There are many developments solely dedicated to retail, as well as many more destined to become mixed-use focal points of new residential and tourist populations. The upshot of this growth is that although there is an obvious need for brand and product diversification, the real area of exploration is for greener and more energy-efficient buildings and ultimately, cutting the carbon footprint of these new retail sites.
There are several reasons behind why this has to be given greater credence when at the planning stage of these developments, first and foremost being because the UAE is one of the highest per capita producers of greenhouse gases in the world. With a recent tonne per capita figure at 10 times the world average, there is a serious challenge facing the region if we are to begin reducing this figure.
One area that is being explored is that of trading our carbon offsets, by selling emission reductions from energy-intensive industries to other countries, but this is more of a strategic countrywide plan and not something that we as consumers can begin to be directly involved in.
Additionally, there are several possibilities offered to retail developers. One of these, which was discussed a few weeks ago (which can be incorporated into the design of a mall), is that of allowing dedicated space for solar panels into car parking lots.
However, developers tend to care more about revenue streams and less about offsetting their carbon emissions, and as solar panels are still very expensive to buy and install, it will be a some time yet before we begin to see them on the malls.
Using footfall
Consequently, the one area that can truly help the retail sector improve is the vast segment that has the most active and direct involvement with the sector, namely the customers and consumers. Dubai alone has a mall-based footfall of 141 million and so there is no apparent shortfall of potentially active participants.
There are several key areas that the consumers and customers of mall-based retailers can be aware of and how they can be more actively involved in helping the malls of the region become 'greener'. The first (and several retailers are already at the forefront of this idea) is to halt use of plastic bags.
Plastic bags can take upwards of 900 years to naturally break down, compounded by the fact that the average American family uses 1,500 a year and less than one per cent are recycled. Steps are being made elsewhere globally to halt their use, with countries such as Australia, Ireland and China either phasing them out completely or charging a levy on their use.
Additionally, customers from retailers that are high in packaging use can begin to question the necessity of the extra packaging that surrounds their product, as essentially, although it may look very attractive - it is all waste.
Consequently, becoming more aware of what we are actually putting back into the food chain and how our shopping habits are effecting the environment that we live in, is an area that we can all be involved with.
- The writer is Head of GRMC Retail Services, Dubai.
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