ADNEC Group develops strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045

ADNEC Group has unveiled an ambitious plan to accelerate its carbon emissions reduction efforts, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability across all seven of its business units. This comprehensive strategy encompasses a series of initiatives aimed at advancing the target of attaining climate neutrality by 2045, one-step ahead of the UAE’s original 2050 goal.

The measures underscore ADNEC Group's commitment to environmental responsibility and reflect its progress, in line with the UAE's vision to achieve carbon neutrality targets by 2050.

The strategy defines future priorities related to environmental sustainability such as energy management, recycling, carbon footprint, and social sustainability issues, including sustainable community impact and effective involvement of community institutions. It also covers governance-related issues including effective corporate governance, empowerment, professional development, and relationship with partners.

The strategy was developed by incorporating industry best practices and conducting extensive global benchmarking studies. It is aligned with global policies in sustainability, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Declaration, as well as UAE sustainability policies and strategies, such as the Energy Strategy 2030, the Green Agenda, and the National Plan for Climate Change, the Environmental Vision 2030.

The strategy includes a set of transformational initiatives, such as carbon emission reduction projects, which include operations efficiency, energy optimisation, waste management and recycling. It also includes projects and initiatives to enhance societal impact, work environment and productivity. Additionally, the initiatives portfolio includes best practices in corporate governance, including achieving results, resource management, integrity, transparency, succession planning, and internal audit.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and CEO of ADNEC Group, said: "The continuous successes achieved by ADNEC Group in the field of sustainability reflect the Group’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s objectives and national strategies to achieve sustainable development. They also align with the objectives of the Year of Sustainability by uniting efforts to address sustainability challenges and implement Innovative solutions to achieve a better future for the new generations."

"We, at ADNEC Group, are keen to strengthen our efforts to achieve sustainability across all of our sectors of operation, in accordance with our long-term strategy. In cooperation with our partners under the umbrella of ADQ Holding, we are getting ready to take part in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which will be hosted in the UAE later this year. In doing so, we contribute to achieving the UAE's efforts regarding climate neutrality, and advancing the economic development of the emirate of Abu Dhabi in the business and leisure tourism sectors."

In recognition of its sustainability efforts, ADNEC Group received five awards for its active role in adopting best environmental practices and working to implement a sustainability approach across all its operations. These include receiving the AEO Excellence Awards for three years, the Abu Dhabi Awards for Sustainable Entrepreneurship, and the Sustainability Award within the Middle East Events Awards for three years.

According to ADNEC Group's key environmental performance indicators, 90 per cent of its facilities and offices have obtained ISO 14001 certification in environmental management, and ISO certification in sustainable environmental and social impact of events. This reflects the group’s high level of commitment to environmental and social performance and adherence to international standards in this field. In addition, the rate of customer satisfaction with the services of the ADNEC Group reached 96 per cent.

ADNEC's achievements include recycling 49 per cent of the waste generated from its operations during 2022, and using the remaining waste in energy generation, according to best standards and practices. This also comes in line with the group’s commitment to achieving optimal use of recyclable materials and reducing waste production, which contributes to preserving the environment and reducing carbon emissions, in addition to its extensive efforts to reduce water consumption by employing advanced technology.

Through recycling, ADNEC Group contributed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 10,000 tonnes. The total recycled materials in the group's centres amounted to 4,434.11 tonnes over the past 10 years.

ADNEC Group has adopted best practices related to sustainability since the beginning of 2010 in its centres, including the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Al Ain Convention Center, and ExCeL London.

Furthermore, in 2022, ExCeL London achieved a major milestone by becoming the first building in the UK to achieve carbon neutrality, according to the PAS 2060 standard for carbon neutrality. ExCeL also reached the final stages of developing an integrated strategy for environmental, social responsibility, and governance. It was awarded a re-certification of the ISO 14001 international standard for the environmental management system, and the ISO 20121 standard for managing sustainable events. In addition, its dependence on generating electricity from renewable energy sources reached 100 per cent, along with its success in using 32 per cent of waste in fuel production, and its various initiatives concerned with food waste reduction, recycling waste, and reducing its transfer to landfills.

ADNEC Group is the first global entity to pledge to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2045, as a member of the Carbon Neutral Events initiative. The initiative, organised by the Joint International Conference Industry Council, aims to develop a framework for the sector to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. It also seeks to set methods for measuring the total greenhouse gas emissions produced by the sector, preparing reports on progress in achieving its goals, and allocating part of its resources to developing a collective roadmap to reduce carbon emissions.

The group has affirmed its commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 5 per cent annually, and its commitment to reducing energy consumption by the same percentage in all its operations. To achieve this, ADNEC Group is providing the latest energy-saving technologies in all its centres, and relying more on solar energy.

ADNEC Group is a member of three external green initiatives: the Committee on Sustainable Development of the World Exhibitions Association, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), and the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG).