Abu Dhabi goes all out to promote sustainable practices by industrial entities

Abu Dhabi: The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) has launched a campaign encouraging industrial entities to adopt more sustainable waste management practices.

The Clean Your Perimeter campaign also urges entities to minimise the consumption of single-use plastics, and has been launched in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Ports Grooup. It is also part of the EAD’s Green Business Network initiative.

The campaign will last until December 2022. Its objectives include educating industrial facilities, and increasing environmental awareness regarding the importance of keeping Abu Dhabi clean. It also aims to engage employees in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, such as Citizen Science clean-ups of nearby areas, and citizen science research on the volume of single-use plastics consumed.

Awareness for all

To develop successful campaigns, participating facilities must conduct internal awareness sessions for all employees – including supervisors, contractors, security teams and broader support staff such as truck drivers – on how to reduce the impact of littering, and how to protect the shared environment. Circulation of internal awareness collaterals such as facts, infographic videos and more will support the outreach.

The EAD will later recognise participants through their social media channels, and at an appreciation ceremony.

Impactful clean up

“As the prime environmental regulator in the emirate, our main concern in line with the government’s vision is providing a safe and healthy environment for all. Towards this end, we developed the ‘Clean Your Perimeter’ campaign, which will encourage facilities to motivate their team of employees to participate by conducting their own ‘citizen science’ clean-ups... At the same time, it is an opportunity for all facilities to also contribute to ‘citizen science’ by supporting EAD to research the volumes of single-use plastics, and other types of waste, entering the environment throughout the year,” said Ahmed Baharoon, executive director for environmental information, science and outreach management at the EAD.

“We want to encourage the concept of impactful clean-ups, which means that they should not be merely a one-off activity, but more of a lifestyle. We also believe that clean-ups can be more impactful through data collection, education, awareness and the instigation of behavioural change in the community. We are all responsible for keeping our environment clean, and we should always include it as part of our community projects,” he added.

“At Abu Dhabi Ports Group, we are proud to be a part of the ‘Clean Your Perimeter’ campaign, an important initiative that aims to drive awareness and engagement around sustainable waste management practices within our communities. The programme will enhance the importance of cooperation among all stakeholders, who will work together throughout its duration to reduce wastage on their premises. This collaboration with a leading institution such as the EAD falls in line with the directives of the wise leadership to maintain long-term positive impacts on the environment, and build a legacy for future generations, which is a cornerstone of AD Ports Group’s ongoing sustainability strategy,” said Othman Al Khouri, executive director for corporate authority at the Abu Dhbi Ports Group.

Last year, EAD held nine public clean-ups and gathered more than three tonnes of waste, measured by weighing the waste collected during the activity.