Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) Sustainability Report

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) presented its fourth annual Sustainability Report, which has been completed by the 3rd quarter of 2017, to its stakeholders including government entities, partners, suppliers and investors. The report illustrates DEWA’s efforts and success stories, as well as its contribution to achieving sustainable development in Dubai. It also shows DEWA’s application of sustainability in its environmental, social and economic dimensions in all its operations and divisions. This is part of DEWA's efforts to enhance the country's competitiveness and Dubai's status as a global hub for sustainability and green economy, and in line with its commitment to share its sustainability performance and practices with its partners and stakeholders.

“DEWA is keen on preparing the annual Sustainability Report due to its importance to stakeholders. This is based on our vision of becoming a sustainable innovative world-class utility, our key role in achieving comprehensive sustainable development in Dubai, and supporting the strategic objectives set by the Green Economy for Sustainable Development, launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to build a green economy in the UAE. We are confident that this report will be a useful, transparent and reliable reference for all our achievements and efforts to attain the goals of The UAE Centennial Plan 2071, and contribute to making the UAE one of the best countries in the world.” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

Al Tayer confirmed that DEWA is committed to observing the comments and feedback of stakeholders on its sustainability performance. He pointed out that DEWA recently held an interactive workshop for its stakeholders to get their feedback on the 2016 sustainability report, and collect information and data needed for the preparation of the coming report.

“Sustainability is an integral part of DEWA’s mission and vision. We continue to work hard to integrate sustainability into our core business, and to consolidate it fully into everything we do. Our concept of sustainability extends beyond our operations to the supplier chain, society and economy of Dubai. We have developed our strategy to include a 3-D perspective of sustainability, comprehensive economic, social and environmental goals, along with financial objectives, giving us an integrated strategy for sustainable business,” added Al Tayer.

Al Tayer noted that DEWA has achieved outstanding results through the Sustainability Culture Indicator achieving 88.7% in 2016, compared to 85% in 2015, with an increase of 3.7%, exceeding the global average attained by the international organisations participated in the indicator during the same year. The Sustainability Culture Indicator is a globally-recognised study conducted annually by organisations to measure their ability to instil a culture of sustainability among the business community.

“DEWA derives its plan of action from the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, aiming to transform Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and green economy. The report shows DEWA’s efforts to achieve the Demand Side Management Strategy to reduce energy and water use by 30% by 2030, and the Carbon Abatement Strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 16% by 2021. It also demonstrates the practical application of sustainability, environmental conservation and preservation of natural resources in our areas of work, especially in energy production, desalination and addressing the causes of climate change,” noted Al Tayer.

“At DEWA, we acknowledge sustainability as an integrated journey, not a destination. As part of our strategic planning approach, we conduct standard research, analysis and comparisons that provide a comprehensive view of our operations, which provides a sustainable road map for DEWA’s work. We have confirmed our position at the forefront of global reporting, as part of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)’s Standards Pioneers programme. The programme includes 100 organisations that have implemented GRI's new international standards, which were launched by GRI, in October 2016. This confirms DEWA's leading position in sustainability reporting,” added Al Tayer.

“The fourth Sustainability Report addresses DEWA’s long-term commitment to sustainability, by examining issues related to the economy, environment, society and governance, while informing stakeholders about its performance and management practices in sustainability, thus promoting dialogue with them. This report is based on the principles of inclusiveness, pragmatism and sustainability. DEWA prepared this report according to the AA1000 AccountAbility Principles Standard. This year's Sustainability Report includes DEWA’s support for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, to address the pressing environmental, political and financial challenges facing the world,” said Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development & Excellence at DEWA.

DEWA is the first organisation in the region to use GRI to develop sustainability reports focused on the electricity sector. In 2014, DEWA was also among the first 15 organisations in the UAE to issue a report using the GRI G4 Guidelines, and is one of the 55 international service organisations in the electricity sector that issue reports on sustainability in accordance with these standards.