Abu Dhabi declaration on Arab Corporate Environmental Responsibility

This is the full declaration of the Arab Corporate Environmental Responsibility Summit that was held in Abu Dhabi on November 29th 2007

Business leaders, meeting at the Arab Corporate Responsibility Summit in Abu Dhabi on 29 November 2007,

Being aware of the magnitude of environmental challenges facing the Arab region and the world;

Realizing that low-carbon technology will be the driver of economic change;
Recognizing that taking the environment fully into account is key to achieving sustainable development and regard it as a fundamental prerequisite for sound business management;

Further recognizing that achieving sustainable development is a collective responsibility of government, business and the civil society;

Believing that environmental responsibility should be a corporate commitment and an integral part of our pursuit of good corporate citizenship,

Declare
1- Eco-efficiency, Cleaner Production and Green Production methods will be our preferred options, as they are fundamental to our competitiveness locally, regionally and internationally.

2- We commit ourselves to integrating environmental considerations in our internal and external operations and adopt preventive environmental strategies at all levels of business.

3- We are committed to adopting innovative solutions that shift the priority from end-of-pipe to preventive strategies and supporting the provision of products and services that meet environmental and health standards.

4- We commit our selves to setting a target of 20% reduction in the use of energy and water in the production of our products per unit by the year 2012 from base year 2002, and strive to compete actively in the growing global environmental industries.

5- We are also committed to complying with national and international environmental regulations applicable to our operations and business. Beyond compliance, we shall strive to develop and adopt voluntary targets and encourage our clients, partners and suppliers to do likewise.

6- We will conduct internal environmental reviews, and periodically report on the results.

7- We recommend that all corporations in the Arab World develop and publish statements of their environmental policies and the steps they have taken to promote the integration of environmental considerations into their operations.

8- We request the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) to assist corporations operating in the Arab region to further the principles and goals of this declaration, through providing technical assistance, training and relevant information relating to best practices in achieving corporate environmental responsibility.