The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has granted Etihad Airways an honorary Green Industries Environmental Label for outstanding environmental performance. The organisation was recognised for finding innovative pollution control solutions and applying best environmental practices, which led to further increases in environmental compliance levels across the airline.
The agency awarded the label during a ceremony held on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023, attended by Engineer Faisal Ali Al Hammadi, Acting Executive Director of Environment Quality Sector at EAD and Mariam Al Qubaisi Head of Sustainability and Business Excellence from Etihad Airways.
The Green Industries innovative programme, which was launched in June 2022, is customised based on best international practices in the field of eco-labelling while factoring in the nature of Abu Dhabi’s industrial sector. The programme aims to build joint partnerships and to acknowledge the contributions of industrial facilities in environmental protection.
Facilities receive the label after being recognised for their environmentally friendly performance through an extensive assessment of facility operations and initiatives ensuring best implementation of best environmental practices to ensure protection and sustainable development of the environment.
Engineer Faisal Al Hammadi, on the occasion, said: “It is extremely gratifying to witness the interest of organisations as large as Etihad Airways in receiving the Green Industries Environmental labelling programme especially within six months of the programme’s launch. It reveals the interest of national organisations in Abu Dhabi in contributing to the emirate’s larger vision of placing the conservation of the environment as a high-ranking priority to enhance the quality of life. After stringent review of the airline’s facilities, we saw full compliance in pollution control, the effective management of resources, innovative green solutions, and sustainable tools in operations, which is why we have awarded them the honorary Green Industries Environmental Label.”
Mariam Al Qubaisi, Head of Sustainability and Business Excellence, Etihad Airways, said: “As the national airline of the UAE, Etihad is determined to lend its full weight to Abu Dhabi’s strategic vision for sustainable development, through research and implementation of all possible solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. The Green Industries Environmental Label is recognition of Etihad’s contribution to sustainability and the Environment Agency’s successful ability to foster the best environmental practices within Abu Dhabi.”
There are four major categories that need to be satisfied for an organisation to receive a Green Industries Environmental Label. The first is the demand-side management of resources, which considers the optimal use of energy and preservation of resources. The second is pollution reduction from primary and secondary operations. The third category requires an impeccable record of compliance with EAD requirements, and the fourth assessment category distinguishes new approaches to environmental conservation, while promoting economic growth, and enhancing the quality of life for Abu Dhabi residents.
