Dubai, UAE, 26 April 2023 – Advancing its sustainability efforts, Emirates and dnata have joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a voluntary global initiative that promotes responsible business practices and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “In the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, we are pleased to join the United Nations Global Compact, which is another step forward in the Emirates Group’s efforts to embed sustainable and responsible business practices across our operations.
“Emirates and dnata have always taken a balanced approach to growth. Reflecting Dubai and the UAE’s long-term vision, we are tireless in our pursuit of excellence and progress, and we embrace the values of tolerance and respect. We will continue to invest in technologies, people, and partnerships to improve our business performance, expand our positive impact on the communities we serve, and reduce our environmental impact,” he added.
As participants of the UNGC, Emirates and dnata commit to implementing the Global Compact’s Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption, and to report on its progress on these efforts annually. The Group will benefit from access to the UNGC’s extensive tools and resources to engage with its employees across the globe and improve their learning and training in Sustainability.
The Emirates Group’s ongoing environmental initiatives focus on three areas: emissions reduction, responsible consumption and the preservation of wildlife and habitats. In June 2022, dnata pledged US$100 million to be invested over two years to enhance environmental efficiency in its operations. In January, Emirates successfully operated a milestone demonstration flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in one engine, supporting collective industry efforts to enable a future of 100% SAF flying.
Emirates supports IATA’s collective industry commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as ICAO’s Long-Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) for international aviation to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The airline is reviewing opportunities and pathways that will help to achieve this goal, which include fleet renewal, operational fuel efficiency, sustainable and low carbon aviation fuels, and renewable energy.
The Group is committed to gender balance. It is a signatory to the UAE Gender Balance Council’s pledge which aims to increase female representation at middle to senior management positions by 2025; and dnata has signed up to IATA’s 25by2025 initiative to strengthen and improve female representation within its organization.
Enriching and supporting communities, Emirates and dnata regularly mobilise resources for humanitarian relief efforts which in 2022 included initiatives for the Pakistan floods, and Turkey-Syria earthquake earlier this year. Through the Emirates Airline Foundation and dnata4good, Emirates and dnata work with NGOs to provide those in need with access to education, shelter, food and clean water. The Group contributes to the future of aviation and travel by building human capital and supporting innovation platforms. Emirates’ active global sponsorships calendar brings fans and communities together, promotes sports, and helps provide future sports stars with opportunities.
Committed to ethical and responsible practices, the Group has cross-functional internal committees that govern and monitor critical strategic, operational, financial, and reputational areas. It has systems and programmes in place to ensure awareness and compliance with policies such as: anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, anti-slavery and human trafficking, antitrust and competition, conflicts of interest, data protection and cybersecurity, and sanctions and export controls.