EEG driving leadership in environmental sustainability

The subject of the lecture was 'To the end of the Earth - Lessons in survival', delivered by Antoaneta Popova, Senior Consultant in Environmental Sustainability and Senior Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Sama Dubai (part of Dubai Holding). It was attended by people across professions and practices, as well as students, teachers and general members of the public; most of them being members and associates of the EEG.

The lecture detailed Ms. Popova's experience as group leader in a leadership building expedition to the Antarctic. The unique exercise was conducted with a group of (70) people of diverse nationalities and from different areas of work including business, professionals and academics; and its purpose was to challenge leadership abilities in the face of extreme conditions. The group encountered extreme environmental conditions, and were exposed to changing natural environments resulting from climate change. The outcome of the expedition was, among others, an abiding commitment to environmental sustainability, and encouraging leadership to take responsibility for it.

No place on the Earth has come more under the spotlight in the continuing debate on climate change, than the Poles. The changes occurring in the Arctic and the Antarctic regions are causing scientists and general interested communities to view climate change as an existing and occurring phenomenon; taking it out of the domain of future scenarios and predictions. The melting of polar ice, impacts on polar biodiversity including the mounting challenges to the survival of species like the Polar Bear, seals and penguins, are causing wide concern across the world. The Polar or Ice Bear, which is almost the flagship species, in particular in the search for better understanding of climate change in the Region and the world, is found to be facing a critical future due to the 4% rise in temperature in the Region in the past 50 years. Every year, there is 9% less sea ice in the Arctic than the previous year, coupled with the breaking of sea ice taking place earlier, putting great pressures on the hunting and survival habits of the bears. Scientists studying the animals find decreasing body weight of the bears, reducing reproductive ability and lower rates of survival of bear cubs worrying indicators. Climate modelers raise the alarm that the ice may disappear entirely in the next 50 to 100 years, throwing the polar bear's evolutionary history completely out of gear.

It is also clearly established by experts, scientists, climatologists and geographers that natural phenomenon and processes have a snow balling and multiplying effect. For example, the warming of the Indian Ocean has an impact on the North Atlantic oscillations, which in turn has a ripple effect on the Sahara desert and causes massive movement of sands beyond Africa into the Caribbean Islands. While natural phenomenon is still too bewildering and complex to be understood fully, there is no lack of attempt to observe, study, analyze and compare it so that we can understand and manage environment related risks and challenges better. The positive development coming out of this is off course the growing interest and awareness of governments, decision makers, businesses, academia and people at large.

The EEG lecture came at the right time when climate change and its impact is generating interest among one and all, and a lively discussion among the speaker and the audience proved this beyond doubt.

The lecture is part of EEG' ongoing endeavour to inform and educate different stakeholders, as well as the community at large. The free lecture was organized with the help of EEG's corporate members Emarat and Abela Catering. The organizations were formally recognized for their part in the event. Every year EEG puts together interesting topics in a set of eight lectures for the community. This program has been going on annually since the late 1990s, and close to a hundred lectures have so far been held.

The lecture was preceded by a brief opening address from EEG Honorary Member Dr. Radhiya Al Hashimi, who said a few words to welcome everyone and followed it up with a brief overview of some of EEG's recent programs. She mentioned the launch of a GCC network of the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative; a capacity building workshop for local NGOs, and a two-day public speaking competition for students of primary, intermediate and secondary levels.

The lecture successfully highlighted the need to take heed of human actions and its impact on the environment, understand the consequences, and be pro-active in making our actions sustainable. The speaker Anoaneta Popova showed her expertise in delivering her message on sustainability, talking about her experiences on an Antarctica expedition. Ms. Popova studied biotechnology and environmental management in UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Bulgaria. She has worked as a Consultant and think tank in sustainability, leading multinationals like Procter&Gamble, Unilever, TNT, Akzo Nobel and many others to go beyond mere compliance with regulation to explore other paths and turn global developments like climate change, water deficiency and depleting natural resources which were seen as risks into business opportunities. She is currently employed by Sama Dubai as Senior CSR Manager. Ms. Popova was honored for her commitment with a specially designed memento presented by EEG's Honarary Member Dr. Radhiya Al Hashimi.

Four other organizations were felicitated during the concluding ceremony. They were new members of the EEG's CSR Network - Dubailand, ETA Ascon and Tameer Holding Investments - and new corporate members, General Motors.