“Sustainability is in our DNA” says ESG Mena CEO

ESG Mena launched in 2022 as the first ESG knowledge hub in the region, delivering the latest news, analysis, and expert insights on ESG, sustainability, and climate action.

With an on-the-ground team in the UK, UAE, Jordan, and Egypt, the company advocates for climate action and good governance within the private sector and beyond, with the overarching aim of supporting the realisation of a greener and more equitable future.

As an ESG knowledge hub, sustainability is in our DNA — it is our anchor — and from the beginning, our mission has been to shout from the rooftops that the business world needs to change for the better. We provide access to the knowledge required to facilitate this change, spotlighting the companies that are taking action (and those that are not), the evolving regulatory landscape, and information on the tools and guidance to support progress.

Since day one, we have been speaking to the experts, deep-diving into under-reported aspects of climate action and ESG, covering key conferences and summits, holding companies to account, and forging partnerships to move the needle in the region.

Indeed, ESG Mena believes that collaboration is crucial for achieving sustainable development goals and the green economy, closing the inequality gap, and, ultimately, protecting our planet and people from the intensifying climate crisis.

With this guidepost, ESG Mena is a member of the Irena Coalition for Action to support the transition to renewables, believing wholeheartedly in the realisation of a fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase-out.

Similarly, we are members of the Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC) and also facilitate ESG and environmental knowledge-sharing workshops through a partnership with Dubai Media Academy.

With the Academy, we conduct training sessions on environmental and ESG topics for various sectors, including for journalists and department heads in government institutions and schools.

ESG Mena believes that the transition to a fully green economy must happen fast if the world is to turn the tide on the damage it has done and prevent further destruction to ecosystems, biodiversity, lives, and livelihoods.

In the next five years, we hope to see:

More regulation, support and incentives for ramped-up renewable energy expansion and an accelerated fossil fuel phaseout.

• A firm push towards sustainable upstream solutions to combat plastic pollution.

• Increased efforts to realise an equitable, inclusive and sustainable food system transformation, with policies and initiatives to support an accelerated shift towards plant-based food.

• More partnerships and initiatives aimed at educating and mobilising diverse stakeholders.

• Robust corporate sustainability regulations to hold companies accountable for climate action (or inaction) with improved and expanded reporting and disclosure and comprehensive anti-greenwashing laws.

ESG Mena will be here on this journey to ask the hard questions, hold companies accountable, and advocate for change.

With regard to my personal contributions to the company to drive the green economy forward over the next decade, as the founder and head of ESG Mena, I will continue to work to expand both our reach and presence across the region. I also look to spotlighting innovation far and wide, giving a voice to the change-makers, and striving to ensure that the region prioritises people and planet over profit.

Indeed, while in recent years, we have seen promising pledges and commitments on corporate action, many are yet to be realised. It is now time to turn words into action.

The reality is that no matter how much countries and companies tout their sustainability targets and achievements, the world is off-track from reaching sustainable development goals, renewable energy goals, and the Paris climate goals, with many of the world’s top climate scientists now expecting the world to far exceed 1.5 degrees. This should be a wake-up call for companies and governments alike.