Nikos Avlonas, one of the founders and Managing Director of the Centre for Sustainability & Excellence (CSE) gave a speech on Carbon Footprint Strategy and CSR this past week at the 7th CSE Summit in Dubai organized by IIR Middle East. Addressing the issues and challenges of climate change, Mr. Avlonas discussed the importance of integrating long term strategic business initiatives for the reduction of GHG emissions within a local and international context.
Mr. Avlonas placed emphasis on the core processes of analyzing the Life Cycle of products and services, measuring their Carbon emissions against clear and transparent strategic aims to effectively reduce GHG emissions. Nikos Avlonas mentioned, “CSE is the leading advisor for Carbon Footprint reduction strategies in more than 18 countries and was the first organization to provide CSR Training and Sustainability Reports since 2006 in UAE”.
Strategic aims need to be aligned with not only production but also the supply chain of products and services, which in turn impact multiple business activities such as, research and development, marketing, finance, and human resources. Internal operations extend to consumer perceptions and purchasing habits, which in the long run also influence the brand and reputation of a business as a Carbon Neutral Organization.
The 7th CSR summit brought together industry and experts to address challenges and opportunities of corporate social responsibility from a local and global perspective, in an effort to go beyond ‘writing a check for a local charity and sending countless press releases to promote it are all over’, proving to be one of the most comprehensive summits to date on the topic of CSR as a ‘tool and source for greater financial growth’. As a leading expert and training provider on CSR and Climate Change, The Centre for Sustainability was proud to have been a part of the summit.
CSE is scheduled to hold its next IEMA Accredited CSR Practitioner Workshop in Dubai this coming fall, which will mark the 3rd successful year of developing know-how on CSR in the Middle East Region.