COP28: Dubai-Based Retail Group, 16 Partners Pledge To Collab For Sustainable Future

Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim Retail Group and its 16 Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) partners have pledged to work together on goals geared toward a sustainable future.

The pledge, made during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) on Thursday, will help advance the forum's Collaborative Impact Goals (CIGs) by taking a step forward as retailers to ensure a sustainable future.

Majid Al Futtaim Retail, owning the exclusive rights to operate Carrefour in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alongside its FMCG partners, has committed to CIG 1, which aims at Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

All partners, including Majid Al Futtaim Retail, will be responsible for measuring, reporting and taking steps toward carbon emissions reduction of products on Carrefour shelves. Carrefour is a French retail company that provides a wide range of products, ranging from electronics to groceries.

The event, which was held at the UAE Pavilion in the Green Zone, was attended by Mariam Almheiri, minister of climate change and the environment, alongside the FMCG partners.

Almheiri pointed out that the UAE considers food security at the top of the agenda, adding that 134 nations have endorsed the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action.

She emphasized the importance of the private sector, including retail businesses in the country, playing an important role to curb the impact of climate change and help the UAE to achieve its national Net Zero target by 2050.

"To see businesses commit to Collaborative Impact Goals and take significant steps to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions in their supply chains is welcomed. Majid Al Futtaim Retail's pledge today is another important step towards a greener and more sustainable future," she added, as per WAM.

Hani Weiss, chief executive officer of Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said the retail group has adopted an action-orientated approach with its "sustainability efforts by pursuing meaningful partnerships and exercising maximum transparency across our products for our Carrefour customers to make more informed, sustainable decisions."

"I would like to thank our 16 influential industry partners, who have committed to sustainability as a life-long cause to revolutionize modern retail for the betterment of the environment and our communities," Weiss added.

The event took place after the launch of the Supplier Sustainability Forum earlier this year, which marked the signing of an agreement between the FMCG partners, the UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

The UAE has been working toward reducing carbon emissions. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the world's largest concentrated solar power (CSP) project in the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which aims to provide clean energy to 320,000 residences in the city and reduce carbon emissions.