Summertown Interiors launches ‘JOURNEY2030’ sustainability goals
Firm says it is committed to delivering 100% sustainable projects by 2030
Summertown Interiors has announced its ‘JOURNEY2030’ sustainability goals. The office fit out contractor says it has outlined three targets that align with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UAE’s sustainability agenda.
According to a statement, the firm’s ambitions are – to deliver 100% sustainable projects; improve workplace happiness and well-being; and achieve zero company waste to landfill.
“We have always aimed to be amongst the pioneers of sustainable development in the UAE – our own sustainability journey started more than 10-years ago with the LEED Gold certification of our own office interior. Corporate sustainability matters – it delivers social, economic and environmental benefits and we are encouraged by increasing numbers of businesses who want to be as sustainable as possible. Our commitment to the highest sustainability standards has strengthen each year – which we detail in our annual sustainability reports. But we all need to be making a bigger contribution towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are honoured to share our journey with the UAE’s path towards sustainability – and hope our ‘JOURNEY2030’ strategy will help pave the way for a better future,” says Marcos Bish, MD at Summertown Interiors.
The launch of the sustainability goals is said to underpin Summertown’s mission to embed sustainability into every aspect of its business. Each of its goals are measurable and are aligned to one of the UN’s SDGs and relevant regional UAE sustainable agendas and includes external international green building standards, the contractor said.
Discussing the first goal ‘Delivering 100% Sustainable Projects’, the firm says that by ensuring all projects meet externally accredited green and sustainability standards by 2030, it is doing its part to make the cities of the UAE resilient and sustainable (SDG 11). The contractor says more sustainable workplaces are a means to combating climate change and stemming its impact (SDG 13).
On the second goal ‘Zero Waste’, the firm explains that in line with SDG 12 for sustainable consumption and production, it aims to reduce waste to landfill from its offices and projects by 50% in 2025 and achieve zero waste by 2030. This firm claims this will be accomplished by using the prevention, reduce, reuse and recycle hierarchy. The goal is said to work towards achieving the UAE Vision 2021 target to divert waste from landfills by 75%, and support the ‘national waste-to-resource program’, which is outlined in the UAE 2030 Green Agenda.
Commenting on the third goal ‘Improve Workplace Happiness & Well-Being’, Summertown says it wants UAE businesses to continuously strive to be great places to work. The company aims to be one of the happiest workplaces in the fit out industry by 2030. This goal is said to align with SDG 8 and supports the UAE’s efforts to be ranked among the top five happiest countries in the world on the Happiness Index by 2021.
