June 5 is commemorated as the World Environment Day every year and we can’t help but wonder what different stakeholders from the region did to truly live the spirit of the World Environment Day. 

Here is a quick recap!

Dubai Municipality

Dubai Municipality organized a series of initiatives and events on World Environment Day. Through these events, the Municipality aimed to highlight the major environmental issues and the importance of conserving natural reserves as well as the sustainability of natural resources. The events further sought to increase environmental awareness among society groups, encouraging them to adopt more green habits and practices.

The Municipality organized environmental awareness workshops and lectures for the young people at the Youth Hub, Emirates Towers, as well as for the personnel of various public and private entities in Dubai. Furthermore, an awareness workshop was held at the Dubai Women's Association, Al-Lisaili branch, in addition to various awareness campaigns for over 2000 students from public and private educational institutions in the Emirate, as well as events for educating the visitors of Children’s City.

The Municipality also distributed aloe vera seedlings to its employees as a gesture to raise awareness among employees to promote the preservation of environmental resources, based on the slogan "Let's make Dubai more sustainable every day." The aloe vera plant was chosen because it is one of the plants that consumes small amounts of water, as it can be irrigated only once every 14 days.

In addition to this, the Municipality also launched an awareness film on World Environment Day, which will be shown across all the cinemas in malls. This is intended to raise public awareness regarding the significance of preserving biodiversity, natural reserves, and natural resources to ensure their safety and sustainability for future generations.

Dubai Municipality implements many environmental initiatives that enhance the sustainability of natural resources and the protection of biodiversity in various parts of the emirate. The Municipality further supports the achievement of the sustainability system in several sectors and integrated observation systems to monitor the sustainability of the environment and its components in terms of air quality, groundwater, sea and soil, and raise awareness about it. In addition to that it carries out several environmental studies supporting the sectors of air environment, coastal environment, and biodiversity conservation.

Dubai Municipality has been implementing many environmental initiatives to enhance sustainability of natural resources and preserve biodiversity in different parts of the emirate, as well as support development and ensure that the environment is protected at all costs. These initiatives include landscaping projects across several parts of Dubai, increased afforestation efforts, as well as safeguarding natural reserves for biodiversity conservation, and protection of a variety of animals and plants that are endangered.

The Municipality also supports the development of strategies for air quality and adaptation to climate changes in the Emirate of Dubai, to enhance proactive plans that ensure the preservation of air quality, and the readiness of relevant sectors such as the environment, food security, energy, water, health, infrastructure and business, and their adaptation to climate changes. It also takes care of the protection of resources and ecosystems in natural reserves that are characterized by their biodiversity and contain many animals and plants, some of which are threatened with extinction, and to promote ecotourism in them.

The Emirate of Dubai has eight natural reserves which are home to a rich array of wildlife and biological life. These reserves span over an area of 1,297.82 km2 and entail ecosystems, including desert, marine, coastal, and mountainous habitats, which are rich in different types of plants, animals, fish and birds.

Infracare Celebrates World Environment Day 2023 and Launches the Sustainability Committee

Infracare Facilities Management, a leading organization in the Facilities Management sector, celebrated World Environment Day 2023 by organizing a series of initiatives aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and addressing the issue of plastic pollution. Alongside these initiatives, the company unveiled its highly anticipated Sustainability Committee.

The event commenced with a reflective session where employees gathered to discuss the importance of World Environment Day. Participants engaged in a meaningful dialogue concerning the UAE's dedication to sustainability objectives and explored the global efforts being made to achieve these goals and create a better world for future generations. The focal point of the event revolved around the theme of #BeatPlasticPollution, empowering the team to collectively combat the challenges posed by plastic pollution.

Following the insightful discussion, departments within Infracare participated in an activity designed to foster creativity and collaboration. The objective was to generate innovative ideas for recycling plastic that could benefit Infracare employees in their daily lives. The activity proved to be both productive and educational, leading to an abundance of valuable suggestions and a diverse array of creative ideas aimed at addressing plastic pollution. This clearly demonstrated the team's unwavering commitment to sustainability.

Infracare also seized the occasion to unveil its highly anticipated Sustainability Committee, a crucial step in driving sustainable practices within the organization. The committee aims to engage employees and stakeholders in proactively implementing sustainability strategies aligned with the company's values and goals. The enthusiastic response from employees has been remarkable, with a significant number expressing their interest in joining the committee. 

The committee's responsibilities include identifying and prioritizing sustainability projects, monitoring progress, and raising awareness about sustainability among employees.

The World Environment Day celebration and the establishment of the Sustainability Committee underscore Infracare's steadfast commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The company believes that by collectively taking small steps, significant impacts can be achieved. Infracare serves as an inspiring example for other organizations, encouraging them to prioritize sustainable practices and contribute to a greener future.

St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

While there is never a “right-time” to celebrate the planet we live on and all of nature’s abundance, with World Reef Awareness Day, World Environment Day and World Oceans Day all culminating next month, it seems apt to highlight and re-engage conversations around sustainability, taking care of our environment and oceans, and supporting our local communities. 

Studies have shown that travellers are increasingly more concerned about their impact on the world and there has been an increase in awareness of environmental and social issues.

With the Maldives in mind, Hazel Araujo, in-house marine biologist at The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort what initiatives they’re involved in.

The interest in creating sustainable solutions for a better ocean are increasing every year worldwide. The ocean is intrinsically related to human’s daily life and specially for island nations such as the Maldives, the protection of marine biodiversity and securing the ocean’s health is crucial.

“As part of our staff activities at the resort, we do monthly beach and underwater reef cleanups.

It is a great opportunity to share time as a team in the beautiful nature of the Maldives while helping tackle one of our biggest worldwide issues, marine pollution. Although routinely beach cleanups are done at the resort, I notice there is still some amount of marine debris present, especially single use plastics. It’s shocking to see how even though we are secluded in a small island in the vast Indian Ocean, we are still affected by the plastic pollution that travels through the ocean currents and ends up here. Our cleanup activities help us realise the importance of changing our daily habits to reduce waste as well as bringing awareness to not pollute the beach and ocean,” she says. 

Mayur Bommai, Co-Founder, Chief of Global Logistics, Laundryheap

World Environment Day (June 5th) is an important occasion that allows individuals and organisations worldwide to reflect on our environmental impact. This year’s theme for World Environment Day was #BeatPlasticPollution, highlighting the urgent need to address one of the most significant environmental challenges facing our world: plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution is a global crisis that has a devastating impact on our planet and our health. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic waste end up in our oceans, rivers, and landfills, causing harm to wildlife and ecosystems. Plastic pollution also poses a significant threat to human health, as microplastics have been found in our food and water.

Sustainable measures and practices are, therefore, no longer a “nice-to-have”, but a “must”, a business imperative. Recycling and reusing in their current format alone are not sufficient methods of combating the issue; instead, we need to collectively take steps to consider and manage usage and consumption for the protection of the planet and future generations. 

This has been a key driver for the numerous initiatives we have rolled out across Laundryheap to build a sustainable model across our operations and reduce our carbon footprint. This includes using eco-friendly detergents, improving waste collection, scaling up our recycling efforts, switching to recyclable plastics and eliminating unrecyclable materials from the supply chain.

We encourage our customers to use the reusable laundry bags we supply (free of charge), which helps to further minimise the amount of single-use plastic waste generated by our services. But our efforts alone are not enough. We need a collective effort from individuals, businesses, and governments around the world to #BeatPlasticPollution. It is encouraging to see the ambitious targets the UAE has set for reducing plastic waste and increasing recycling rates.

The ban on single-use plastics starting in 2024 will reduce the amount of plastic waste generated and encourage consumers and businesses to adopt more sustainable alternatives. The ban will also be crucial in helping Dubai achieve zero waste to landfill by 2030. A positive indication of the strides made to date is the 80% decrease retailers have already seen in single-use bag usage since last year’s introduction of a 25 fils charge in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Nevertheless, advancing environmentally friendly initiatives is everyone’s duty. While every step

towards a more sustainable future is another step towards protecting our ecosystem, collectively we are much more powerful. As the inspiring Helen Keller once said, “alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”