Dubai: Going green while doing business is possible in Dubai and should be on everyone’s agenda, officials and some members of the private sector said.
The Trakhees-Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation on Wednesday recognised and awarded outstanding companies under their jurisdiction that promote health and safety at work and strive to protect the environment while doing business.
The award — the third Dubai Environment Health and Safety Awards — serves as a platform to bring Dubai closer to the UAE Vision 2021 of achieving sustainable development by doing business without compromising the environment and the people.
“It’s a target that everyone should achieve. In certain areas, we are advancing, but we should continue and be in the leading position. The UAE Vision 2021 is a very challenging target but it can be done in Dubai,” Arif Obaid Al Dehail, Award Chairman, told Gulf News.
Trakhees this year zoomed in on entries from the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) that has more than 7,000 companies.
Al Dehail said the impact of these companies’ contributions in Jafza is huge. One multinational company upgrading its standards and strategies to meet the criteria in the award can positively influence other companies.
Among those that can be an example is Sofitel The Palm, which received three awards on Wednesday: Best in Environmental Performance, Best in Green and Sustainable Building, and runner-up for Best in Food Safety.
Christophe Schnyder, General Manager of Sofitel The Palm, said residents should start looking at sustainable development beyond the perspective of money.
“[Going green] is costly in a way because it requires a lot of time investments but we can always do something without a huge financial investment. I think rather than money we should talk more about securing the future for our families,” Schnyder told Gulf News.
The resort hotel was awarded for its efforts to keep its ecological footprint down without sacrificing the comfort of its guests.
Rohit Salunke, Director of Engineering at Sofitel The Palm, said the hotel has solar panels that supply energy to power 50 per cent of its water heaters. It also has green roofs to keep its buildings cool. All its lightings have been replaced with LED lighting and water savers were installed in all the guest rooms, among others.
“We have saved almost Dh1 million in energy costs since opening due to the best design and practices. Plus we have saved 40 per cent in terms of our water consumption or almost 10,000 cubic metres of water. For recycling, we managed to reduce our waste that goes to recycling by 30 per cent,” Salunke said.
“The initial cost of investment is high but in the long-term the return on investment is very good.”
