97% of 2020 sustainability goals achieved, Majid Al Futtaim says
The company says it will continue to invest in critical tools and infrastructure, including renewable energy and water efficiency and reuse technology
Majid Al Futtaim released its 2020 Sustainability Report and announced that it achieved 97% of the targets set out in its annual sustainability strategy. The report outlined key milestones and initiatives launched through the year, and the firm said the achievements demonstrate its dedication to driving the sustainability agenda forward in the region.
The audited results showcased Majid Al Futtaim’s progress towards its Net Positive commitment, as 2020 saw the company record a 9.2% decrease in its carbon footprint and a 17.5% decrease in water usage across its operations. It also generated nearly 17m kWh of renewable energy last year, with 63% generated through its shopping malls alone – enough to power an electric car for 85m kilometres, or the equivalent to driving over 40,000 times from Dubai to Riyadh and back, the firm said in its statement.
The firm noted another important milestone was the launch of its circular economy strategy, which focuses on tackling waste and moving towards a circular business model by 2030. Majid Al Futtaim also launched its Responsible Procurement Policy, developed to reduce business risks and to drive positive change within the company’s supply chain, with minimum sustainability standards set out for suppliers.
“The past 12 months have seen our world change beyond imagination and the importance of taking care of one another and the planet has never been clearer. Our sustainability strategy has been a top priority for the business and achieving 97% of our targets demonstrates the importance we place on driving the sustainability agenda forwards within our own operations and across the region as whole,” remarked Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi, chief sustainability officer at Majid Al Futtaim – Holding.
He added, “The launch of our circular economy strategy, which looks to tackle waste within the business and move towards a more circular business model by 2030, was a key 2020 milestone for us. Now, as we enter the final stretch before reaching our 2022 Sustainable Business Commitments, we will continue to future proof our business, scaling up on our Net Positive efforts and embedding climate-related risk management to ensure our business resilience and reduce our impact on the environment.”
The firm said it also doubled down on its Leadership Institute efforts, and launched a sustainability e-learning module to over 9,250 of the group’s office-based employees across 17 countries.
The statement said that despite the challenges of COVID-19, and in line with its vision for customers, it hosted the MENA region’s first ever carbon-neutral movie screening at VOX Cinemas, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment to mark World Environment Day 2020. Since then, its continued partnership with Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence ensures that all screenings held at the VOX Cinemas’ Drive-In are carbon neutral and in its first three months, the partnership offset 19.32 tCO2e for a total of 1,400 cars, the firm stated.
The company also pointed out that it led its 13-property hotel portfolio to become the only group in the world to receive LEED Platinum certification. Highlighting its support to Dubai’s strategic objectives in Health, Wellbeing, Happiness, Sustainability and Smart Cities, the firm said its flagship Tilal Al Ghaf community had been designed with circular economy principles and developed to become a global benchmark which will be the first BREEAM certified community in Dubai.
As a partner of the UAE’s 20by2020 initiative, which provides sustainability solutions and technologies to last-mile and off grid communities, the firm noted that it funded two critical projects to help 6,500 people gain reliable and renewable access to energy, through the installation of solar streetlights in Jordan and Egypt. In Jordan, solar streetlights were installed in and around a hospital crucial for the country’s COVID-19 response, improving site safety and reducing upkeep costs, the company explained.
Collaboration and partnerships also played a crucial role within Majid Al Futtaim’s 2020 sustainability strategy, the statement pointed out. The firm said Carrefour Kenya worked with a local partner to recycle paper, plastic, metal, and organic waste. The partnership is said to have seen 92% of operational waste being recycled and over the year offset 581,221 kg of CO2 emissions, the equivalent to saving a forest area the size of 810 football pitches. Carrefour Uzbekistan was the first retail store in the country to introduce and transition to eco bags, paper and reusable bags over plastics, and Carrefour Bahrain made the decision to deliver all orders made through the Carrefour app in reusable bags at no additional cost, the statement detailed.
The statement said that in the future, the company will continue to invest in critical tools and infrastructure, including renewable energy and water efficiency and reuse technology, in a bid to realise its first carbon and water reduction targets in 2022, and the eventual achievement of its 2040 Net Positive commitment.
Majid Al Futtaim pointed out that it was one of the first three signatories to the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, which states buildings must be net zero carbon in operation by 2050. The firm said it aims to support the global agenda and is keen to set Science Based Targets (SBTs), which will ensure its emissions-reduction targets are aligned with the latest science on what is needed to reach the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
