Category:

Latest News

Riyadh Air Launches Fleet of Electric Coache

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

Riyadh Air has announced the launch of a fleet of electric coaches for employee transport.

The fleet has launched in partnership with National Transportation Solutions Company, “NTSC,” a division of the Petromin Corporation and TAM-Europe.

Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, commented: “Investing in electric coaches is just one early initiative we can introduce to offset our environmental footprint as we demonstrate we will be a leader in helping achieve the aviation industry’s global net-zero agenda.”

According to International Energy Agency (IEA) analysis, EV car sales saw a 35 per cent year-on-year increase last year, with one in five cars sold being electric.

Kalyana Sivagnanam, the Group CEO of Petromin Corporation, added: “We are proud to have this partnership for sustainable mobility with Riyadh Air and contribute to their efforts to reach sustainability goals. This is a remarkable airline with environmental responsibility embedded in their DNA.”

Aviation is one of the most carbon-intensive forms of transportation and accounts for between 2.5-3 per cent of emissions. The industry has also witnessed a faster growth rate in recent decades than rail, road, or shipping, and, if left unmitigated, some estimates forecast emissions rising to 22 per cent by 2050.

11 months ago 0 comments

UN Tourism, World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Partner for Common ESG Framework

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

UN Tourism is partnering with the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to test the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses. The framework, developed by the University of Oxford SDG Impact Lab and UN Tourism, aims to enhance alignment between private and public sector data and provide a tool to consistently measure and report on ESG.

The partnership will see the Alliance and UN Tourism refine the framework’s indicators and relevant tools, and drive stakeholder engagement, it was shared.

“The ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses is set to transform the tourism sector by establishing harmonised and essential standards for companies to assess and report their sustainability efforts,” said UN Tourism Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic.

“The collaboration between UN Tourism and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance highlights how commitment and strategic partnerships can drive alignment and significant progress in ESG,” added Urosevic.

Glenn Mandziuk, Chief Executive Officer of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, commented: “Collaborating with UN Tourism on the development of a harmonised ESG Framework represents a significant milestone for the global tourism industry. This partnership not only underscores our commitment to sustainability but also highlights the collective power of our industry to drive meaningful change.”

According to the parties, the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses is rooted in the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST), which is endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission.

“By establishing standardised metrics and fostering greater alignment between the private and public sectors, we are paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future for tourism worldwide,” said Mandziuk.

11 months ago 0 comments

Finance Latest News

QNB Group Joins Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

QNB Group has joined the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), making it the first bank in Qatar to do so.

The partnership, developed by the Global GHG Accounting and Reporting Standard for the Financial Industry, was created in 2015 and launched globally back in 2019. To date, the partnership’s membership spans 500 financial institutions from six continents.

The industry-led initiative was established with the aim of enabling financial institutions to consistently measure and disclose the GHG emissions financed by their loans and investments, otherwise known as financed emissions.

Estimates from the CDP have put the finance sector’s financed emissions at over 700 times greater than its own.

According to the bank, the PCAF membership facilitates the bank’s measurement of greenhouse gas emissions arising from its loans and investments, setting the standard, providing guidance, building capacity, and providing technical support and access to an emission-factor database.

Commenting on the bank joining the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials, Fatima Abdulla Al-Suwaidi, QNB Group Chief Risk Officer, commented: “We are proud to be the first bank in Qatar to join PCAF and to be joining a global group of financial institutions committed to disclosing the greenhouse gas emissions of their financial activities.

“We consider this an important milestone, which will underpin our approach to future disclosures, and climate-related target setting. QNB will partner with PCAF to promote the use of consistent, industry best practice standards in support of the sustainability agenda to which we are committed.”

11 months ago 0 comments

Environment Latest News

EAD Secures ISO Accreditation for Soil Quality Monitoring Programme

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has received ISO 16133:2018 accreditation for its soil quality monitoring programme. According to the organisation, obtaining the accreditation this year makes it the first environmental authority in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to do so for five consecutive years.

EAD launched its programme back in 2018, through which it monitors the soil across over 600 sites.

Across these sites, it analyses over 1,376 samples to screen more than 35 elements and pollutants, with the aim of identifying the impact of human activities on soil quality and guide future soil management and regulatory policies.

This year, EAD increased its number of sites to 664, up from 100 in 2018.

The programme employs advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) statistical analyses to select and distribute sampling sites for optimal representation, the organisation shared.

“Our soil monitoring programme provides critical data to inform soil management strategies and policies, leading to better soil health, improved human health, and enhanced environmental sustainability in Abu Dhabi,” said Faisal Al Hammadi, Executive Director of the Environmental Quality Sector at EAD.

Al Hammadi explained that the team also utilised artificial intelligence techniques, which contributed to identifying soil pollution sources, assessing the extent of contamination, and implementing corrective actions, leading to improved soil quality and more sustainable land management.

Indeed, globally, 40 per cent of the earth’s land is already degraded, and between 2015 and 2019, at least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land were degraded each year.

More regionally, studies on the MENA over the last twenty years have previously put land degradation at between 40 and 70 per cent, with more than half of all land and a quarter of arable land in MENA degraded.

“As a result of EAD’s ground-breaking soil monitoring programme, we are the first environmental authority in the Middle East and North Africa region to achieve the ISO 16133:2018 accreditation for five years in a row, demonstrating the programme’s adherence to international standards and our leadership in soil quality monitoring,” added Al Hammadi.

11 months ago 0 comments

Environment Innovation & Education Latest News

Fashion for Good Launches New Circularity Initiative

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

Fashion for Good, a platform focused on driving sustainable fashion innovation, has launched a new initiative aimed at driving circularity in footwear.

The organisation is working in collaboration with Adidas, Inditex, ON Running, PVH Corp., Reformation, Target, and Zalando on the initiative, which will have four core workstreams.

The first workstream is Design and will involve defining circular design in the footwear space and collectively driving guidelines to build a circular infrastructure.

The second stream is Materials, which is focused on scouting and validating sustainable alternatives for footwear materials.

The third is End of Use: Sorting, Disassembly, & Recycling, whereby the group will develop a comprehensive data set on post-consumer footwear waste flows, including (non-)rewearable fractions, volumes, construction and composition, and scouting and validating solutions for repair, disassembly and recycling.

The fourth and final workstream is Traceability, which will see the group establish a footwear traceability data protocol to build traceability for evidence to substantiate sustainability claims.

“Fashion for Good and our corporate partners, including adidas, recognize the urgent need to accelerate innovation in footwear sustainability,” said Katrin Ley, Managing Director of Fashion for Good.

Indeed, almost 24 billion shows are produced each year across the world, often made using over 40 different components from a range of different materials, including TPU, EVA, PU and rubber.

The high complexity of show construction, along with low collection rates means that most shoes end up in landfill.

The organisation’s circularity-focused initiative is aimed at curbing this high-level of waste, and extending the life of footwear.

“Over the past seven years, we have consistently broken norms across various segments and are now leveraging our expertise to radically reimagine footwear. By doubling down on our efforts, we aim to drive circularity and validate sustainable solutions in a segment ripe for disruption,” added Ley.

Fashion for Good noted that it is seeking “breakthrough sustainable solutions” in the footwear sector that maintain performance and durability and is inviting innovators in footwear to contribute to the initiative.

“Through this partnership, we have collaborated on a number of different sustainable innovation initiatives that are benefitting the fashion industry. Now we want to build on this know-how and expand our focus into the Footwear space,” said Sigrid Buehrle, SVP of Product Operations and Sustainability, Adidas, which has been a partner of Fashion for Good for over six years.

“Currently, there is a limited portfolio of low-impact materials which also meet the necessary performance requirements that are also scalable. We hope this initiative will help overcome some of these hurdles,” added Buehrle.

11 months ago 0 comments

Food & Water Innovation & Education Latest News

New Membrane Technology Could Enhance Water Purification Systems

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) researchers have developed new membrane technology that “could enhance water purification systems,” according to a new study published this week.

The approach utilises microwave technology to more easily synthesise and fine-tune a new type of membrane. This technology effectively purifies water from a wide range of contaminants.

The membrane synthesis technique is now one of the fastest methods for creating covalent organic framework (COF) membranes, researchers said, taking just a few minutes.

These membranes act as filters in devices designed to clean polluted water from specific contaminants, which allows its reuse in different applications.

The discovery comes as the world faces the “imminent risk” of a global water crisis.

Indeed, two billion people now lack access to safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion lack access to safety-managed sanitation.

The MENA is facing the brunt of this crisis already, as the most water-scarce region in the world.

Researchers explained that the new type of dual-faced membrane enables efficient removal of contaminants like oils and dyes from water, enhancing the filtration process and endowing the membranes with strong antibacterial properties, which they said is “crucial” for long-term usability and effectiveness.

The process was developed by Farah Benyettou and Asmaa Jrad under the leadership of Ali Trabolsi, Professor of Chemistry and Co-Principal Investigator at the NYUAD Water Research Center.

“By fine-tuning the reaction time, we can adjust the membrane’s thickness and its hydrophilic and hydrophobic characteristics,” explained Benyettou.

This capability, Jrad explained, allows them to tailor the membrane specifically for various types of water pollutants, “significantly enhancing both the efficiency and speed of water purification.”

According to the researchers, these membranes outperform traditional polymeric ones in resisting organic fouling, which they said is a common challenge in membrane-based water filtration systems.

“Our method not only simplifies the production process but also enhances the separation capabilities of the membranes, offering a promising solution to critical water purification challenges worldwide,” Trabolsi added.

11 months ago 0 comments

Environment Latest News Policy & Finance

IPCC Meeting Fails to Finalise Assessment Report Timeline

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

At the recently concluded Plenary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Sofia, Bulgaria, delegates failed to finalise a schedule for the upcoming seventh assessment report (AR7) cycle.

The IPCC is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations (UN) which provides policymakers with periodic scientific assessments on climate change.

AR7 is the next in its periodic assessment and will summarise the most recently published climate science.

The 61st plenary session, which ran from 27 July to 2 August, brought together delegates from 195 member governments and ultimately ended without a conclusion on the key decision of the report schedule.

Some countries pushed to have this report finalised by 2028, in time for the second global stocktake. However, other countries, including India, China, Saudi Arabia, and others, have resisted, citing concerns about quality and inclusivity.

These reports take between six and seven years to produce.

Delegates will return to debate the decision regarding the deadline in February 2025, when an agreement on the outline of report content will also need to be decided.

The IPCC meeting in Sofia did, however, see a consensus reached on the outlines of reports on cities and climate change and on short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs).

11 months ago 0 comments

Environment Latest News

The Retreat Palm Dubai Awarded Green Globe Certification

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

MGallery The Retreat Palm Dubai has secured Green Globe Certification, a certification for sustainable operations and management in the travel and tourism industry.

The certification spans various sectors, including hotels, resorts, conference centres, attractions, cruise ships, golf courses, spas, and transportation services, among others.

According to the hotel, it secured the certification by employing various initiatives across water conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.

This included the installation of low-flow fixtures in guest rooms and public areas, the use of hand wash basin aerators, and the implementation of knee-controlled hand wash systems in kitchen areas.

The hotel also upgraded to LED lighting throughout the property, installed motion sensors to reduce unnecessary energy use, and introduced a guest room energy management system that automatically adjusts the air conditioning and lighting.

Elsewhere, a solar heating system is employed to supply hot water. It has connected various appliances, including dishwashers and steam generators, to this system to further reduce energy consumption.

The hotel has also implemented a digital food waste management system to monitor and reduce food waste.

Samir Arora, General Manager of MGallery The Retreat Palm Dubai, commented: “We are incredibly proud to receive the Green Globe Certification, a recognition of our ongoing commitment to sustainable practices,” adding: “We look forward to inspiring others in the industry to embrace sustainability and contribute to a greener future.”

The Green Globe Certification was founded back in 1992. It now has 600 members in more than 80 countries.

11 months ago 0 comments

Energy Latest News

Jordan’s Renewable Energy Fund Partners with USAID

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

This week, Jordan’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF), affiliated with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, signed an agreement with the USAID Business Growth Project to enhance energy efficiency in factories.

The program reportedly aims to increase the competitiveness of the industrial sector by reducing energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions, supporting the implementation of the energy efficiency and rationalisation program in medium and small factories.

The grant includes providing energy audit studies, covering their costs by 100 per cent with a maximum of 10,000 Jordanian dinars, and providing technical support from experts from the Energy Efficiency Fund.

The USAID Business Growth Project aims to support small, medium, and emerging companies in Jordan to enhance productivity, support competitive capabilities, and create employment opportunities. Another facet of the project is enhancing innovation through technical assistance and facilitating access to funding sources, it said.

It was shared that it has a particular focus on integrating women, youth, and persons with disabilities within the project’s objectives and initiatives.

11 months ago 0 comments

Energy Latest News

Scatec, Aeolus Partner for Two 60 MW Solar Power Plants in Tunisia

by Madaline Dunn 11 months ago

written by Madaline Dunn

Renewable energy provider Scatec and Aeolus, part of Japanese conglomerate Toyota Tsusho Group, are developing
two solar power plants, each with an installed capacity of 60 MW, following the signing of a partnership agreement between the two.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the French development agency Proparco are financing the construction and operation of the two solar photovoltaic power plants in Tozeur and Sidi Bouzid.

It was shared that the projects qualify for the financing programme for Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) model projects implemented by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment in cooperation with Tunisia.

The EBRD’s financing package consists of a loan of up to €12.5 million, a concessional tranche of US$ 8.9 million (€8.2 million) extended by the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and US$ 5.0 million (€4.6 million) provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

“We are proud to partner with Scatec and Aeolus-Toyota Tsusho Group on their first utility-scale solar projects in Tunisia. These projects, co-financed with our long-standing partners Proparco, the Clean Technology Fund and the Global Environment Facility, are testament to the sponsors’ commitment to supporting the development of Tunisia’s renewable energy sector,” said Nandita Parshad, Managing Director of the EBRD’s Sustainable Infrastructure Group.

The EBRD said that it has been a “key partner” in the development of Tunisia’s renewable sector over the past seven years and has been supporting Scatec since the inception of these projects.

“We are excited to have reached financial close on the Tunisian projects and are looking forward to embarking on the construction phase,” commented Terje Pilskog, CEO of Scatec.

“We would like to welcome our new partner, Aeolus-Toyota Tsusho Group, to the projects and express our appreciation to the EBRD, Proparco and other financing partners for their invaluable commitment. We would further like to thank the Governments of Tunisia and Japan for their support and for driving the green transition in the region,” added Pilskog.

Tunisia aims to achieve a 35 per cent renewable energy share by 2030, with an installed capacity of 4GW.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Scatec on these projects. They mark Aeolus’s first commemorative investment since our establishment in March 2024. We are also grateful for the persistent efforts and support of the EBRD and Proparco for many years, as well as the advisors and everyone involved in bringing these projects to fruition,” said Hideharu Toba, President of Aeolus.

11 months ago 0 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts