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About 60% of businesses in the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) do not have a framework for managing their environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. About half were not sure their employees fully understood it.
These are the key findings of an exclusive study of 200 policymakers in both countries commissioned by ASDA’A BCW, the region’s leading integrated communications agency, to mark the launch of OnePoint5, its new MENA-specific ESG Consulting (Mina).
It takes its name from the world’s most important sustainable development goal – limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
sustainable business practices
OnePoint5 aims to strengthen the MENA region’s voice on ESG issues, while helping clients adopt more sustainable business practices. The new consultation comes as Egypt prepares to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in November, followed by COP28 in the UAE in 2023.
Of the 200 opinion leaders interviewed, 41% said their business already had an ESG framework in place, while a third (33%) said they were developing one. A quarter (26%) admit that their company does not have an ESG policy. Emphasizing the need to raise awareness of the benefits of ESG standards, more than half (52%) of respondents who said their company had introduced an ESG framework said they did not fully understand it.
According to Sunil John, BCW’s Mena President and founder of ASDA’A BCW, research shows that the business community in the Middle East must strive to meet its governments’ high expectations for sustainability best practices.
Develop a strong ESG proposition
“OnePoint5 can help clients develop strong ESG propositions that create greater value for their shareholders and stakeholders,” John said. “The expert consultation will be led by Stephen Worsley, ASDA’A BCW Senior Vice President. A communications professional with over 25 years of experience, he has advised clients in the sustainability and energy sectors including Masdar, Total, Zayed Sustainability Prize , Engie and First Solar.”
OnePoint5 provides four key services: Advice and consultation to client decision makers to ensure sustainability thinking is at the heart of their business planning and disclosures; Audits and gap analysis to understand clients’ sustainability impacts; Designing operating plans to help Integrate best practices; communicate strategies and plans to help clients inform and motivate employees and internal stakeholders, and increase external stakeholders’ awareness of their sustainability commitments.
Bridging the “Say Do” Gap
“Many businesses need to bridge the gap between awareness of the urgent need to drive sustainability and action on the ground,” added John. “Consulting firms like OnePoint5 can help by combining the skills of experienced communicators with sustainability The combination of the technical capabilities of the experts helps clients address the so-called ‘say-do’ gap.”
He said: “The UAE, Saudi Arabia and several other countries in the MENA region have committed to net-zero emissions and are implementing a wave of reforms aimed at improving standards of transparency, good governance and sustainability – not to mention Massive infrastructure projects have stretched from The Line in Saudi Arabia to Expo 2020 in Dubai, the most sustainable expo ever and the planned location for next year’s COP28. The message is clear: we all need to improve our Level.”
Climate change is already affecting businesses
The survey further revealed that businesses in the Middle East need to speed up their efforts to tackle climate change, with around two-thirds (61%) of decision makers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia saying global warming is already having an impact on the way they operate.
While governance standards also show room for improvement, 40 percent of businesses in both countries claim to have strong policies to combat bribery, corruption and unethical practices. 46% of respondents in the UAE and 43% in Saudi Arabia said they have a whistleblower policy to expose corruption.
The survey was conducted from 22-29 May 2022 by PSB Middle East, ASDA’A BCW’s wholly owned data and analytics subsidiary. Sample interviews include decision makers directly involved in ESG matters, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – arab trade news agency
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