Living Business Programme

Living Business 2020

Profit from sustainability now

If you would like your business to be more profitable AND reduce its environmental impact, if you would like your team to be performing at an even higher level, or if you would like your buyers to approach your company because of its reputation for sustainability, then register to join Living Business 2020 now.

There are 60 places available. Participants receive:

One-on-one guidance
Enrollment in a specialised one day workshop
Introductions to industry leaders who can help you achieve your objective

There is no charge - the programme is sponsored by HSBC as part of their sustainability commitments and to support companies in transitioning towards operating in a more sustainable way. The programme is entirely for you, to help you make changes in 2020 that will benefit your business and the planet.

The Opportunity

During the programme, our experts will work with you to help you:

Identify areas where your business could harness new technologies or industry best practice to grow revenue, reduce costs or engage staff

Focus on one area for a pilot

Develop a ‘ready to go’ implementation plan

Identify, where necessary, quality suppliers or consultants to ensure your plan runs smoothly.

Towards the end of the year, we will invite you to showcase what you have achieved. There will be a Living Business Programme graduation ceremony, including a high energy Get In the Ring pitching event, at Expo 2020 in November.

Why is this programme so important?

Our current economic model is unsustainable and is threatening our continued existence as a species. Without the support of enlightened businesses restoring natural systems may be impossible. Time is running out. We need socially and environmentally responsible companies to be Trojan horses within the business community, leading the transformation to sustainability.

Companies stand to gain as they realize significant cost savings through operational efficiencies. High-quality, diverse workplaces lead to greater employee satisfaction, retention and productivity. A reputation for sustainable leadership is increasingly leading to higher sales. And investors are now able to track high ESG performers and are correlating better financial performance with better ESG performance.

Example one

A food processing company in Sharjah requires large quantities of water. In 2019 the company installed a water treatment facility so that, rather than trucking out the wastewater, they reused it. Their DEWA bills were substantially reduced and they no longer pay to remove their wastewater. The investment paid for itself within 8 months.

Example two

An industrial business in Jebel Ali which installed rooftop solar panels. Electricity bills reduced by 70% and the company expects to pay for the investment in 3.5 years.

Example three

An accommodation block in Dubai was retrofitted with an energy-saving air conditioning system. The average energy saving was 69.6% compared to previous energy bills and the internal environment was improved with less noise and more consistent temperature with no hot or cold spots.

Dates for your diary

Showcasing the leaders

We are looking for projects which are having or will have a significant:

Best environmental impact

Best social impact

Best governance implementation

We will be inviting the companies which show the most promise in each category to pitch at the Get In the Ring 2020 final event at Expo 2020.

We will create videos for the winners to use to further showcase their sustainable project(s) on social media and on their own Website.

Phase 1

Support

One-on-one coaching to identify the most appropriate sustainable initiative for your company.

A one-day workshop to develop the idea into a ready-to-implement plan.

If required, desk-top research and introduction by us to up to three suppliers who can help your company implement the plan

Phase 2

Implementation

You implement your initiative. We are there to provide support and advice on an adhoc basis as required.

Phase 3

Show-casing

We ask you to tell us about your progress and the actual or expected results. We invite all participating companies to join us at a Programme graduation ceremony to be held at Expo 2020 in late November. At the ceremony, the companies who have done most to improve their ESG performance will pitch in a high energy Get In The Ring event.

Evaluation criteria

The business must, during 2020, have implemented or commenced implementation of a change which:

Reduces the business’s or industry’s environmental footprint (e.g. saving of water, energy or waste or the introduction of a transformation innovation) and/or

Enhances the social capital of the business including the upskilling, health, diversity and inclusion of staff or customers and/or

Creates a sustainable governance framework, including engagement, reporting and transparency.

Quantifiable data to show the realised and/or potential improvement will form a key part of any application.

To participate in the competition the company has to be based in the UAE.

If you have questions about the programme or would like more information please contact:

Organiser

In partnership with