GREEN ECONOMY / CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

❍ AFED’s Arab Green Economy Initiative (AGEI)

In 2009, AFED launched its Arab Green Economy Initiative (AGEI), designed to facilitate the transition of governments and businesses to more environment friendly practices. It triggered the development of green growth strategies at the national and regional levels. AFED plans to engage all sectors by offering facilitation, capacity building, and technical assistance to enable these partnerships become a driver for green economy. Specifically, AFED will launch the following programs as a backbone for an Arab Green Economy Initiative: Economics of Ecosystem Investing, Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER), Arab Green Enterprises, Public Policy Recommendations, Sustainability Reporting, New Business Models and Sustainability, Product Stewardship Workshops, Environmental Housekeeping Handbook, Web-based Consumer Education. AFED is an active member of the Global Green Growth Forum (3GF), where it presented the Green Economy vision in Copenhagen. AFED is also a main contributor at the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP), participating in its various activities, meetings and programs. AFED’s annual report, Green Economy: Sustainable Transition in a Changing Arab World, published in 2011, was presented and discussed in regional and international meetings, and used to develop green growth strategies in many Arab countries.

❍ Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER)

In 2007, AFED launched its Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) initiative in Abu Dhabi, at the conclusion of the Arab CER Summit organized by AFED and Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi. Over 120 CEOs, representing major business sectors from across the Arab world, committed to advance CER principles and set a target to reduce energy and water consumption by 20% in their operations by 2012. More AFED members are doing so. AFED’s Environmental Sustainability Reporting Initiative will enable corporate members to adopt a set of environmental accounting tools to communicate their environmental performance to the larger public. The CER program organizes workshops to present methods, tools, processes, and case studies for planning and implementing CER projects.

❍ Water and Energy Efficiency

AFED produced two handbooks identifying opportunities to increase energy and water efficiency in industry, buildings and agriculture in Arab countries. Investment in this endeavour normally pays back through reduced operating costs.