Jotun undertakes tree planting activity at Jebel Ali Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility

The tree planting effort affirms Jotun's commitment to the community and the environment, as well as its strong support for the promotion of more sustainable green spaces in the emirate. Representatives from the Dubai Municipality including Eng. Hassan Makki, Director of Waste Management Department and Eng. Naji Al Radhi, Head of Waste Treatment section, commended Trine Finnevolden, General Manager, Jotun Paints and Ram Ramnath, General Sales Manager, Jotun Powder Coatings on the initiative.

Jotun Paints and Jotun Powder Coatings have jointly pioneered this campaign, which involved the planting of 120 coaocarpus trees and 20 date palm trees along the 558-meters of the front fence of Jebel Ali Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility.

In addition, an accompanying irrigation system for the new trees has also been set up to help in the growth of the saplings. Top Jotun officials have underlined the importance of planting trees that are native to the region, not only for beautification purposes, but also more importantly for their contribution towards reducing harmful greenhouse gases.

Jotun's active involvement in this important environmental initiative follows its adoption of a massive waste recycling program, which has resulted in the reprocessing of 926,492 litres of waste water and 47, 721 litres of waste solvents in 2007. In addition, the company also invests heavily towards the development of paint products that help in the conservation of energy.

Eng. Hassan Makki, said:

"This initiative by Jotun, which is in line with the directions of the Director General of Dubai Municipality towards a green environment, addresses the importance of the private sector's participation in social and environmental activities. Environmental protection is an integrated responsibility that requires the participation of everyone. For this reason, Dubai Municipality is always eager to co-operate with the society and the private sector in its campaigns. For example, when the 'Clean up the Word' campaign was initiated few some years ago, there were only 200 volunteers. This number was increasing by time and reached 20,000 participants in 2008. This could not have been accomplished without the direct support and sponsorship of the private sector."

Eng. Naji Al Radhi, said:

"We applaud Jotun's efforts towards ensuring a green zone around the Jebel Ali Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility and effectively promoting environmental awareness in the UAE. The trees planted here will play an important role in absorbing excess greenhouse gases and in keeping the air clean and filtered, especially in the Jebel Ali area where a substantial number of plants and manufacturing hubs are located. This company's commitment to sustaining and balancing the eco-system provides a model for other organisations to follow amidst the booming call for environmental awareness."

The undertaking with the Dubai Municipality is an integral part of Jotun's corporate social responsibility (CSR), revealed a top company official, with the leading paint manufacturer focusing on playing a pivotal role in the empowerment of the community in aspects such as the environment. Additionally, Jotun's CSR programs are also directed towards their commitment towards society and the nation's current efforts of Emiratisation, with the establishment of a dedicated CSR committee effectively managing the execution of the company's multi-faceted programs.

"This is an exciting time to be in the Dubai, where development and rapid urbanisation have made the leading economy the metropolis of the future. However, we should not forget the substantial impact of rapid economic expansion on our natural resources. This is why we are fully committed to protecting the environment through activities like this, which will help combat climate change, and in the process help us set a trend for other companies to follow - be it in the realm of environmental awareness, as well as in other social issues that require significant attention," said Trine Finnevolden.

In addition to its CSR activities, which have led to the advancement of environmental causes, the company's commitment to societal development also involved a recent donation of computers to a Dubai Municipality sponsored charity and a blood donation drive participated by Jotun employees.

The company is a staunch advocate of the country's Emiratisation program, and has spearheaded educational visits at the Dubai Men's College. Furthermore, the leading manufacturer has also undertaken significant strides in engaging its own staff in relevant environmental issues with the launch of its annual 'World Environment Day' celebrations, where employees along with their families are gathered for a whole day affair involving fun, environmentally-focused activities and competitions.

"Jotun values the importance of being a responsible member of the community and the success we have achieved in our environmental awareness programs has paved the way for other companies to look at us as a model for undertaking CSR initiatives on various national issues. The continuing support of the Dubai Municipality has also further strengthened our efforts, and we are looking forward to partnering with them in more activities in the future,"

said Rame Ramnath.

"Our desire to provide outstanding products without compromising the ecological balance and the quality of life of both our employees and customers remain our motivation to help us retain our position of leadership in the paints and powder coatings market while continually carving our niche as the most environment-friendly paints and coatings manufacturer in the Middle East," concluded Ram Ramnath.