UAE: Abu Dhabi Healthcare Provider Eyes Zero Medical Waste To Landfill By 2040

Marking the Year of Sustainability, an Abu Dhabi-headquartered healthcare provider has announced plans to become carbon neutral by 2040 through several eco-friendly measures, including medical waste management and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The ambitious climate goal is part of Burjeel Holdings' long-term environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy covering four key pillars: a healthy environment, community, governance, and system.

To achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, Burjeel has set mid-term targets for reducing Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 1 is direct emissions by the company, and 2 and 3 are indirect emissions. The healthcare provider targets reducing combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2024 mainly by focusing on efficient energy consumption such as fuel for vehicles, and electricity. By next year, Burjeel will develop a strategy to account for Scope 3 emissions.

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The organisation is committed to eliminating medical waste, aiming for zero waste to landfill by 2040. In 2023, Burjeel's operations generated 1,575 tonnes of medical waste at a 3 per cent dip compared to 2022. Also, it plans to reduce water consumption by 10 per cent by 2030, with a focus on reusing 5 per cent of total water consumed annually.

“The nature of our business is clearly about sustaining our society by providing healthcare across the community and we are seeking to align fully with the best international standards on environmental stewardship and governance,” Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings, said.

Burjeel seeks to positively impact more than 7 million lives a year by 2026 through various community initiatives. The organisation aims to have 30 per cent of corporate employees participate in at least one community volunteer activity annually starting next year. Patient education programmes will be implemented for 70 per cent of active patients with chronic conditions by 2026. The organisation also aims to maintain a high percentage of independent directors on its board.

“At the time of the IPO, we created a board of acknowledged experts, of whom 70 per cent are independent directors, and in 2023 we established a Business Development and Sustainability Committee to ensure that we integrate sustainability across our entire business,” Dr Shamsheer said.

Employee training programmes on data privacy and security, ethics and compliance, health and safety; increasing the representation of women in leadership roles to 30 per cent or higher; and maintaining a balanced gender ratio are among the targeted goals to be achieved by 2030.

“Our ESG performance is absolutely integral to our mission to provide the highest quality of healthcare for communities in the GCC,” John Sunil, CEO of Burjeel Holdings, said.

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