ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 Final Draft July 2010

A partnership to champion sustainability in Abu Dhabi
Strategy 2011/2013 (Final draft)
From reporting to action
ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)
INDEX
The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG) ......................................................................................................................... 3
ADSG Members .............................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.
Our Commitment: the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group Declaration .................................................................. 7
1.
Our Mission.......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.
Our Values and Principles ................................................................................................................................................ 8
3.
Our Stakeholders ............................................................................................................................................................... 9
4.
Our Sustainability Context............................................................................................................................................. 10

4.1The Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda 2030......................................................................................................................10
4.2PESTLE Analysis ..........................................................................................................................................................11
4.3SWOT Analysis...........................................................................................................................................................13
5.
ADSG Strategy (2011-2013) .......................................................................................................................................... 15

5.1Our Vision ....................................................................................................................................................................15
5.2Strategic Goal 1 ..........................................................................................................................................................16
5.3Strategic Goal 2 ..........................................................................................................................................................19
5.4Strategic Goal 3 ..........................................................................................................................................................22
5.5Strategic Goal 4 ..........................................................................................................................................................23
5.6Strategic Goal 5 ..........................................................................................................................................................24
5.7Strategic Goal 6 ..........................................................................................................................................................25
5.8Summary of strategic initiatives ..............................................................................................................................29
5.9Summary of strategic and operational indicators...............................................................................................31
Page 2 of 32
The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG)

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG) is a membership organization
whose mission is to promote sustainability1 management in Abu Dhabi by
providing learning and knowledge sharing opportunities for government,
private and not for profit organizations in a spirit of cooperation and open
dialogue.
The ADSG was established in June 2008 as a forum of members who have
signed the ADSG Declaration, committing to adopt best practices of
sustainability management and reporting and to actively participate in ADSG
activities. The ADSG is open to new members willing to practice and
champion sustainability in Abu Dhabi.
The ADSG is an organization with far-sighted aspirations to encourage coresponsibility in Abu Dhabi to ensure that government entities, business and not for profit organizations are all
partners in working towards achieving the goal of economic, environmental and social sustainability2, as well as
contributing to the strengthening of intercultural dialogue about global and local sustainability trends, relevant in the
Arab World and beyond.
To achieve its mission, the ADSG provides services to members to help them improve their sustainability
management and reporting practices. Those services are focused on:
1
Improving knowledge (through a portal, a newsletter, publications and seminars),
Developing capabilities (through training, one-on-one support, and benchmarking)
Sharing experience (through forums and meetings)
Facilitating Advocacy (through flagship programs)
Building networks (through partnerships with local and international organizations)
Expanding the member network (through outreach activities)
Reporting performance (through the groups various forums and an annual report)
Some of these activities are also open to non-member organizations to contribute to promote sustainability
management within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
1
Sustainability was defined for the first time in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development as A
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The primary goal of
sustainability is meeting the basic needs of all and extending to all opportunities for a better life. It refers to three type of needs:
Economic needs (access to wealth to cover, at least, basic human needs)

Environmental needs (access to clean and safe environment and clean and safe products and services)
Social needs (a catch-all dimension, includes access to work, education, health, housing and culture amongst other needs).
2
The ADSG logo symbolizes the triple bottom line: People (represented by older and younger generations), Planet (represented by the sun) and
Profits (represented by infrastructure). The triple bottom line refers to a way of accounting for an organizations performance based on its added
economic value and its combined contribution to economic prosperity (Profit), environmental quality (Planet) and social equity (People).
Page 3 of 32
ADSG Members
Government organizations
Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ADCCI)
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)
Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC)
Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA)
Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA)
Department of Economic Development Abu Dhabi (DED)
Department of Transport (DOT)
Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD)
Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD)
Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones (Zones Corp)
Private companies
AL DAR Properties
Aramex Abu Dhabi
Dolphin Energy (Dolphin)
Etihad Airways
Masdar - Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company
Mubadala Development Company
National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD)
Sorouh Real State
Not for profit organizations
Emirates Foundation
Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development
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Introduction
About this strategy
This is our medium term strategy. It explains how we envision the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG) in the
medium term and how we will carry out our core mission and contribute to the long-term goal of promoting
sustainability management in Abu Dhabi in the period 2011 2013.
This strategy marks a shift from the intensity of a start-up phase of building a network and developing the services
and processes required to engage our members to being in a position to use the lessons learnt during our first two
years of activity to respond effectively to the needs of our members and other organizations in Abu Dhabi to
improve sustainability management and reporting.
Thanks to the knowledge acquired during the past two years about the needs of our members and the sustainability
context in Abu Dhabi we are ready to document our midterm strategy, which will guide our actions in the next
three years. This strategy has been designed to help us achieve our strategic goals ensuring our relevance,
effectiveness, efficiency, impact and institutional sustainability as well as increasing our visibility.
The road travelled

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG) was established in 2008 with the mission to promote sustainability
management in Abu Dhabi by providing learning and knowledge sharing opportunities for government, private and
not for profit organizations.
During our first year (2008-2009) we gathered support for the initiative which attracted 15 leading organizations
signatories of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group Declaration. In November 2008 we elected our first General
Secretariat, and in March 2009 we approved the ADSG Charter stating our mission, strategic goals and governance
framework.
During our second year (2009-2010) we laid the foundations to help our members to improve their sustainability
management practices. In May 2009 we started providing training on issues such as reporting, stakeholder
management and environmental sustainability as well as one-on-one support to help member organizations develop
and articulate their business cases for sustainability.
During the second half of 2009 we developed the membership criteria and process and the portfolio of services to
be delivered to our members. During the first half of 2010 we continued training, developed our communications
tools, designed our midterm strategy 2011-2013 and started raising our visibility by participating in local and
international events.
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Our Milestones
Launching (2008)
May 2008
Environment Agency Abu
Dhabi (EAD) launches its
first Sustainability Report.
H.E.
Mohammed
Al
Bowardi, Secretary General
of the AD Executive Council
and Managing Director of
EAD
calls
for
the
establishment of the ADSG.
Representative organizations
from some of the most
important sectors for the
Emirate
sustainability:
Energy, Industry, Transport,
Tourism, Health, Oil and
Gas,
Construction
and
Building are invited to join
the ADSG.
June 2008
On June 30th the ADSG is

established
where
15
founding members sign the
ADSG
Declaration
committing
to
adopt
sustainability
management
and reporting practices.
Laying the foundations (2009)
November 2008
January-March 2010
May 2009
The ADSG General

Secretariat is established
with two permanent
members: the General
Secretariat of the Abu
Dhabi Executive Council
and the Environment
Agency Abu Dhabi,
and
five
elected
members:
ADCCI,
ADWEA, Aldar, Dolphin
Energy, and Emirates
Foundation.
One-on-One
technical
support starts to provide
assistance to members to
document their business
cases for sustainability.
March 2009
EAD issues its second

sustainability report. Sorouh
issues its first sustainability
report.
The ADSG Charter is

approved
by
the
founding
members
stating the
mission,
goals, governance and
members rights and
duties.
The ADSG action plan
2009
is
approved.
Training activities are
initiated with three
workshops: sustainability
management, reporting
and
stakeholder
management.
June 2009
EAD sets up a sustainability
unit to provide strategic and
operational support to the
ADSG General Secretariat
and its members.
June-December 2009
The ADSG approves the
membership criteria and
membership process. The
ADSG approves the range of
products and services to be
delivered to members.
ADCCI issues its
sustainability report.
Reaching out (2010)
first
Masdar City, Urban Planning

Council (UPC) and Aramex
join the ADSG.
The ADSG action plan

2010 is approved. Training
activities continue with a
workshop on Sustainability
reporting.
Etihad
Airways
and
Mubadala
Development
Company join the ADSG.
April-June 2010
Training activities continue
with a workshop on
Transparency in the Value
Chain.
Quarterly meetings are
open to guest speakers.
Four flagship programs are
launched.
Khalifa Fund
ADSG.
joins
the
ADSG leads a Delegation

of 13 members to the GRI
Global Conference on
Sustainability
and
Transparency
held
in
Amsterdam.
The ADSG Portal and the
ADSG newsletter are
launched.
15 founding members
issue their sustainability
reports.
Moving from reporting to action (2011-2013)
1.
Knowledgedissemination:Awarenessindex,Toolbox,Seminars
2.
CapabilityBuilding:Sustainabilityinstitute,Sustainabilityscorecard(ADSGcommonindicators),Benchmarking
3.
Experiencesharing:AbuDhabiAnnualSustainabilityForum
4.
Advocacy:Keysustainabilityissues(Reporting,Procurement,ICT,Waste,Laborpractices,Education)
5.
Networking:Strategiclocalandinternationalpartnershipsfocusedaroundkeysustainabilityissues
6.
Membership:Recruitment,Support
7.
Performancemanagement:Autonomousnotforprofitorganization
Page 6 of 32
1. Our Commitment: the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group Declaration

On June 30th, 2008 and based on an invitation from H.E. Mohammed Al Bowardi, the Secretary General of the Abu
Dhabi Executive Council and the Managing Director of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, representatives from
selected leading government, private and not for profit organizations3 signed the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group
Declaration committing to adopt best sustainability management4 and sustainability reporting5 practices in order to
address some of the economic, environmental and social challenges faced by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
ABU DHABI SUSTAINABILITY GROUP

DECLARATION
Abu Dhabi, 30th of June 2008
We, the undersigned, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group founding
members
Hereby declare our commitment to work together in adopting
sustainability as the fundamental approach in developing and
executing strategic policies and using integrated management of
our economic, environmental and social performance for the
purpose of realizing the vision of H. H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the vision of Abu Dhabi Emirate
to achieve sustainable development, build a cohesive society and an
open economy capable of global competitiveness.
We commit ourselves to do everything in our power, with our
partners in this group, through the introduction of sustainability
management practices, to improve management methods and
decision making, reduce risks, and encourage use of technological
applications to support sustainable economic and social growth.
We also commit to publishing an annual report that explains our
sustainability management approach and an evaluation of our
environmental, economic and social performance. We pledge this
in a spirit of cooperation and open dialogue to ensure the highest
levels of transparency; and we commit to supporting national plans
and strategies.
3
Government entities: Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI), Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Abu Dhabi
Tourism Authority(ADTA), Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Department of Economic Development (DED), Department
of Municipal Affairs (DMA), Department of Transport (DOT), Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD), Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (HAAD),
Higher Corporation for Specialized Industrial Zones (Zonescorp); Private companies: Aldar Properties (Al Dar), Dolphin Energy, National Bank of
Abu Dhabi (NBAD), Sorouh Real Estate; Not for profit organizations: Emirates Foundation.
4
Sustainability management is the systematic management of economic, environmental and social performance with the goal of optimizing benefits
for both, business and society.
5
Sustainability reporting is the incorporation of economic, social, environmental and governance information into public reporting in a systematic
way that is linked to strategy and management processes in order to communicate progress regarding sustainability,
Page 7 of 32
1. Our Mission
To promote sustainability in Abu Dhabi by providing learning and knowledge sharing opportunities for government, private
and not for profit organizations in a spirit of cooperation and open dialogue.
To achieve our mission we engage government, private and not for profit organizations to use their influence to
integrate sustainability management and reporting principles and practices both within their organizations and
amongst their stakeholders.
For this to happen we follow a three pronged approach:
Identify the organizations that can contribute the most to achieving sustainability in Abu Dhabi;
Identify the people within those organizations who are best suited to contribute to address some of the
pressing economic, social and environmental issues that affect our present and future development;
Provide them with the knowledge, the capabilities and the incentives to affect change within their
organizations and amongst their stakeholders.
2. Our Values and Principles

Our Values
Responsibility
Our Principles
We all share responsibility for our common present and future.
We act as change agents to promote collaborative relationships between government, private and not for profit
organizations to ensure that we realize the vision of building a sustainable and competitive Abu Dhabi by 2030.
To live by our values we take into consideration the following principles:
Coordination: We seek to harmonize our efforts with the efforts of our members and other organizations at
the local, national and international level so as to maximise our relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact.
Collaboration: We seek to use a range of collaborative structures to achieve our mission. These include, for
example, membership, joint ventures, and sub-contracts.
Complementarity: We seek to complement not to replace the work of our members and other specialised
organizations. We seek to create opportunities to others to offer the services that our members and other
organizations in Abu Dhabi require to adopt sustainability management and reporting practices.
Coherence: We seek to ensure that our activities in a particular dimension of sustainability (economic, social
or environmental) do not undermine other dimensions.
Accountability
We are answerable about our impacts on our stakeholders.

To live by our values we take into consideration the following principles6.
Inclusivity: we seek the participation of stakeholders in developing and achieving an accountable and strategic
response to sustainability.
Materiality: we systematically focus on issues which are relevant and significant to our members and their
stakeholders.
Responsiveness: we systematically respond to stakeholder issues that affect our members sustainability
performance through decisions, actions and performance, as well as communication with stakeholders.
Transparency
We ensure the timely and accurate disclosure on all material issues.

To live by our values we disclose information including our financial situation, performance, ownership, and
governance7.
AccountAbility Principles Standard (2008). http://www.accountability.org/uploadedFiles/publications/AA1000APS%202008.pdf
OECD Principles of corporate governance, (2004). http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/18/31557724.pdf
Page 8 of 32
3. Our Stakeholders
To achieve our mission and strategic goals we will work in partnership with our stakeholders8 through
addressing their concerns, needs and priorities and effectively respond to them in a partnership spirit.
We have identified our main stakeholders, the reason why we engage with them, their expectations of the ADSG as
well as our response to their concerns. The results of this analysis are shown in the table below:
SUMMARY OF STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
Stakeholder
Members
Why we engage?
To empower members to
adopt
sustainability
management
and
reporting practices
Priority issues for

ADSG
Priority Issues for

stakeholder
Maintain
commitment to the
ADSG declaration
Improve knowledge
Portal
Build
capacity
through
training
adapted to maturity
level
Newsletter
Improve
sustainability
performance
General
meetings
Achieve
ADSG
mission
(To
promote
sustainability
management
and
reporting in AD)
Achieve
goals
ADSG
Increase
participation
ADSG activities
Candidates and
prospects
To achieve a critical mass

of
sustainability
practitioners
for the
uptake of sustainability in
AD
in
Share experience
Increase
participation
in
ADSG
activities
(Task forces)
Improve reputation
Attract
high
sustainability impact
organizations that
can contribute to
achieve
ADSG
mission
Same as above
Our response
Training
One-on-one support
Secretariat
Forum Quarterly meetings

CEO/MD
Leadership
Group meetings
Annual
Forum
Sustainability
Flagship programs
Delegations
conferences
to
Brochure
Portal
Newsletter
Training
One-on-one support
increase the impact

of ADSG
Forum Quarterly meetings

Annual
Forum
Sustainability
Flagship programs
Abu
Dhabi
Executive
Council
Media
Sustainability
community
To
secure
political
support
and
the
integration
of
sustainability into AD
public policies
To raise awareness
To raise awareness
and understanding, to
share experience, to
enhance opportunities
for
international
recognition
Increase
participation
ADSG activities
Achieve EC vision
(To facilitate Abu
Dhabi
to
be
regarded as one of
the
best
five
governments in the
world)
Performance management
(effectiveness, efficiency,
and impact)
Disseminate
information to the
public
about
sustainability
and
about our members
good practices
Generating news
Press releases
Inform the public
Q&A
Develop
partnerships
with
key
players
to
achieve
synergies
and increase our
impact
Advance
the
sustainability agenda
in the region
in
Partnerships with
sustainability players
key
Visibility in national and

international events
Brochure
Meetings
Mailings
Partnerships with
sustainability players
key
Those groups or individuals who are affected by or can affect the achievement of our objectives.
Page 9 of 32
4. Our Sustainability Context

4.1
The Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda 2030
The Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda 2030 Mapping the Road Ahead9 defines the future strategic aspirations and
plans of the Emirate in all major sectors of life. It is designed to present a unified view of the Abu Dhabi Strategy
for the long run in order to achieve the vision of the Abu Dhabi Emirate to achieve sustainable development,
build a cohesive society and an open economy capable of global competitiveness.
The Policy Agenda 2030 is a major update of the previous version 2007-2008, adding clarity to the priorities of
Abu Dhabi and defining a long term Vision. The Agenda defines high level outcomes that Abu Dhabi seeks for
its citizens, and a roadmap for the main areas of policy development that will help to get there. The document
guides government entity planning and coordination, as well as inform the private sector, international peers
and the Abu Dhabi population about the aspirations and plans of the Emirate.
Together with the Policy Agenda, the Abu Dhabi Performance Management Framework (PMF) has been
adopted to ensure alignment across government entities and help achieving the Governments goals and
outcomes. The Policy Agenda as well as the PMF distinguish 5 performance dimensions for the whole of
government (WoG): social development, environment sustainability, economic development, infrastructure,
and government excellence. The Policy Agenda as well as the PMF state 17 goals described in the Abu Dhabi
Government Strategy Map 2010-2030: Each goal has outcomes to be achieved.
The delivery and management of the Policy Agenda and the PMF outcomes is a collective effort requiring
extensive cooperation amongst the government entities, the private sector and not for profit organizations and
the Abu Dhabi population in order to achieve the aspirations and plans of the Emirate.
The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group committed in the ADSG Declaration to supporting national plans and
strategies. Accordingly, the Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda 2030 will be one of the elements that will guide the
selection of issues to focus ADSG efforts in the coming years.
Not yet published at the time of writing this strategy, June 2010.
Page 10 of 32
4.2
PESTLE Analysis
To achieve our mission and strategic goals we will take into consideration the business environment in which
we operate. To better understand our business environment we have identified the Political, Economic, Social,
Technological, Legal, and Environmental factors that could affect our operations. The results of this analysis are
shown below:
SUMMARY OF PESTLE ANALYSIS

Factors
Political
Economic
Comments
Abu Dhabi Government search for excellence: The Abu Dhabi Government aims to be one of the best five
governments in the world. Sustainability is increasingly seen as a necessary requirement to achieve government
excellence
Growing local attention to sustainability: The Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda 2030 Mapping the Road Ahead defines
the vision of the Emirate to achieve sustainable development, build a cohesive society and an open economy capable of
global competitiveness. This explicit mention to the goal of sustainable development opens a window to advocate for
sustainability at the local level.
Demand for improved coordination: There is an increasing demand for coordination of sustainability efforts and
so far there is not an institution at the local level that acts as a meeting point for all sustainability initiatives in Abu
Dhabi.
Economic diversification: In January 2009, The Abu Dhabi Government announced its Economic Vision 2030, a
strategy that aims to safeguard the Emirates future by diversifying its economic base to lessen its dependence on oil.
This will require channeling resources to aid the growth of other economic sectors. According to the Abu Dhabi
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a strategic game plan to diversify Abu Dhabis economy away from oil will
require at least $167.5 billion from the government coffers in the next five years. The bulk of this budget (51%) has
been earmarked for construction projects, with other key non-oil sectors such as tourism, industry, water and power
set to receive 20%, 10% and 6%, respectively. The remaining 13% of the total budget will be spent on oil and gas.
Construction projects: The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is witnessing a period of impressive economic development with
projects worth millions of Dirham like Saadiyat Island, a $27bn project which will convert the city into one of the
culture capitals of the world. This creates great opportunities to diversify the economy, generate employment and
strengthen intercultural dialogue but also creates challenges regarding how to balance the economic, social and
environmental impact of construction projects so that the net impact is positive for all.
Unemployment: The unemployment rate for Emiratis in Abu Dhabi is estimated at 14%. A large portion of the
unemployed, especially males, have low education levels. Chronic problems in education and disincentives to join the
workforce are a main challenge for economic development. How can the UAE share the nations wealth while
fostering a commitment to the national project through the work of its citizens in both the public and the private
sector? (The National, 25/01/2010).
Decent work: An increasing number of labor violations and complaints in the UAE for late payments to unskilled
migrant workers have been filed in the last year (Ministry of Labor in The National, 08/02/2010). As a response the
Government has established the Electronic Wage Protection System (EPWS) (Khaleej Times, 27/01/2010) and has
distributed the guidebook The worker: rights and duties. Additional measures will be needed to also address other
pressing economic issues affecting unskilled migrant workers such as low salaries and financial exclusion.
Page 11 of 32
SUMMARY OF PESTLE ANALYSIS

Factors
Social
Comments
Population: Population in the Abu Dhabi emirate, inclusive of Al Ain, the Western region and the Islands, stood at
1,463,491 as of end 2006. UAE Population grew by a compounded average of 4.57% annually between 2001 and 2006.
Urban residents comprise 68.5% of Abu Dhabis total population .45% of UAE nationals are under the age of 15 years.
Men outnumber women with a ratio of 2.03 men for every woman. This is due to the high percentage of male migrant
workers. Across the UAE, Emirati nationals comprise roughly 20% of total population, while expatriate workers
nationalities include Asians, Africans, Europeans as well as North and Latin Americans. The majority of the expatriate
workers are unskilled.
Literacy rate: One of the UAEs highest priorities has been the education of both men and women. In 1975, the rate
of adult literacy was 54 percent among men and 31 percent among women. Today, literacy rates are nearly 90 percent
for males and 96% for females.
Education standards: New initiatives are being launched at all educational levels. A key area of focus has been to
transform K to 12 programs, to ensure that UAE students are fully prepared to attend universities around the world
and compete in the global marketplace. In addition, some of the worlds best universities are creating programs in the
UAE, attracting talented students in the Arab world and globally. In spite of these positive steps the government still
faces challenges in raising education standards as it grapples with issues of student motivation, particularly males. The
total number of women enrolled in higher education is higher than that of men.
Social cohesion: Although the UAE is one of the most cultural diverse societies in the world where modernity and
tradition coexist peacefully, the UAE faces multiple socioeconomic challenges related to demographic imbalances and
disparities between citizens and residents and between men and women:
Challenges affecting citizens related to the rapid pace of development and its impact on culture and heritage.
Challenges affecting residents related to their access to affordable health, education, housing, decent work and
rule of law.
Challenges affecting men related to their future participation and contribution to the emirate prosperity and
success due to poor student motivation and high dropout rate among boys in the UAE.
Challenges affecting women related to their equal participation and contribution to the emirate prosperity and
success due to cultural reasons.
Technological
Knowledge based economy: One of the focus areas of the Abu Dhabi Governments long term vision is building a
sustainable, knowledge-based economy. This will require a strong emphasis on human capital development, growing
the private sector, establishing knowledge networks with leading research centres, promoting innovation, improving
ICT literacy and infrastructure as well as replacement of labour intensive industries where labour is largely nonnational to knowledge intensive industries where labour is largely national.
Legal
Corporate Governance: Transparency and reporting in the GCC are below international standards and a string of
corporate scandals and lawsuits have hit the region since the credit crisis (Fitch Ratings in The National, 08/02/2010).
Corporate governance law: A new UAE corporate governance law for publicly listed companies in the United
Arab Emirates will come into force on 30/04/2010 to help to restore trust. The law includes a clause in Article (13)
Code of Conduct that requires companies to apply an environmental and social policy towards the local society.
Environmental
The state of the environment: The UAE has the worlds highest ecological footprint.
Energy: The UAE has a high per capita level of greenhouse gas emissions due to intensive air conditioning, high
reliance on private transportation, and dependence on oil as a key source for energy (H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President in UAE Interact, 20/01/2010)
Waste: The UAE has one of the world's highest per capita levels of domestic waste: Abu Dhabi annual average
730 Kg; US 710 Kg, Australia 690 Kg and UK 300 Kg (www.uae.gov.ae).
Water: The UAE has one of the world's highest per capita water consumptions 550 litres per day, despite
having a hyper arid climate. This risks the depletion of water reserves within 50 years (H.H Sheikh Hamdan bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of EAD in UAE interact, 22/03/2009).
Climate Change: According to the report published by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, entitled Climate
Change: Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation, around 85 percent of the population and more than 90 percent of
the infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates is located within several meters of the shoreline, and in low-lying
areas. Therefore, climate change poses a threat to the Emirate due to risk of flooding caused by a rise in the sea
level above the current infrastructure.
Biodiversity: The unique ecology in the region and its biodiversity is under threat due to the environmental
impact of the UAE production and consumption patterns.
Page 12 of 32
4.3
SWOT Analysis
We have identified our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, that is, the key internal and external
factors that could help or hinder us from achieving our objectives. The results of this analysis are shown below:
SUMMARY OF SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths
Weaknesses
(Key internal factors that could help us achieve our objectives)
(Key internal factors that could hinder us from achieving our objectives)
Our members
Our members
Public-private partnership: Our members are government,

private and not for profit organizations. This allows us to
coordinate the efforts of most relevant stakeholders when
addressing an issue.
Silent members: Some of our members are not proactive enough, often
due to lack of resources to commit human and financial resources to
sustainability and to ADSG activities.
Sector leaders: Our members are some of the most prominent

public and private organizations in Abu Dhabi.
Active members: Some of our members are very proactive and

willing to provide resources to develop ADSG activities.
Peer pressure: Our members are induced into a behavior of

improving performance by comparison towards their peers.
Mutual support: Our members can rely on a network of

organizations willing to share knowledge and contacts.
Insufficient allocation of resources by some members: Some members are

more aware of the costs than of the benefits of sustainability and this
affects their allocation of resources.
Representatives turnover: There is a high risk of loss of expertise within our
members if no appropriate succession planning is envisaged for ADSG
representatives and members of the sustainability teams.
Our issues
Levels of commitment: Sustainability reporting is only a step in the process

towards sustainability and it is not enough. ADSG does not have yet a
system to encourage an increasing commitment to sustainability as higher
levels of maturity are achieved. ADSG requires a system that provides
incentives to move from reporting to action.
Our issues
Multidimensional approach: We cover a wide variety of topics

united by the theme of sustainability. Whereas existing
sustainability initiatives in Abu Dhabi focus on one specific
aspect or sector, the ADSG provides an umbrella approach to
address topics within the three dimensions of sustainability
(economic, environmental and social) as an interdependent
field of practice. This is closer to reality where the three
dimensions are interconnected.
Benefit to the wider community: The issues we address benefit
the wider community including both citizens and residents.
Our management
Strategic Focus: Our strategic objectives are clearly defined and

respond to three levels of achievement: attain a sustainable
Abu Dhabi, grow a strong membership and build an excellent
organization.
Democracy: Decisions are taken by the General Secretariat,

which comprises five elected representatives and two
permanent representatives and by member organizations who
are invited to participate in the development of processes,
products and services and initiatives through ad-hoc task
forces which have addressed issues such as membership,
capacity building, flagship programs or strategic planning.
Transparency: We provide access to information about the

decisions taken and our progress in achieving our goals
through periodic meetings and reports.
Multidimensional approach: We cover a wide variety of topics united by the

theme of sustainability. Although this has advantages it also has risks,
namely loss of focus if there is not a good system to give priority to the
most relevant issues, where the most impact can be achieved by the
collective action of our members.
Our financial resources

Reliance on voluntary driven-support: The ADSG Charter states that the
General Secretariat should recommend options to be considered by the
members Forum to evaluate overall funding requirements. Until then the
ADSG is relying on ad-hoc sponsorships for training and other activities.
At present, we are ready to undertake more demanding initiatives such as
the Resource Center, the Toolbox and the Flagship programs that require
more substantial funding.
Our supporters
Patronage of the Secretary General of the Executive Council (EC):

The EC is entrusted to propose public policies and strategies
to be decided on by the Executive Council, and has a strong
interest to position Abu Dhabi as one of the best governments
in the world.
Guidance of the Environment Agency (EAD): EAD is providing

strategic and operational support until the ADSG can become
an autonomous organization.
Page 13 of 32
SUMMARY OF SWOT ANALYSIS

Opportunities
Threats
(Key external factors that could help us achieve our objectives)
(Key external factors that could hinder us from achieving our objectives)
Global pressure for sustainability
Green washing
Pressing global sustainability issues: The UAE frequently appears in

international statistics as one of the countries with the highest
ecological footprint.
Appetite for green washing: Some organizations can be attracted to the

ADSG to build their reputation without this interest been accompanied
by a strong commitment to sustainability.
Sustainability is increasingly deemed globally as the next level in

excellence: Sustainability is seen as a necessary requirement to
achieve government or business excellence (EFQM 2010).
Financial crisis
Growing global pressures for mandatory sustainability reporting: The

GRI just launched a proposal to make sustainability reporting
mandatory for large and medium-sized companies in OECD
countries and fast-growing emerging economies by 2015.
Growing global movement calling for integrated reporting: Moves are
afoot to set up an International Connected Reporting Committee
(ICRC). This will be a collaboration of key stakeholders in
connected reporting with representation from around the world
and from the accounting profession, standard-setters, business,
investors and inter-governmental organizations. The aim of the
committee will be to create international standards on
connected/ integrated reporting.
Local interest for excellence and sustainability

Abu Dhabi Government search for excellence: The Abu Dhabi
government aims to be one of the best five governments in the
world. Sustainability is increasingly seen as a necessary
requirement to achieve government excellence
Current economic crisis: so far the ADSG has been a low cost initiative
reliant on the General Secretariat of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council
(ADGSEC) financial support and the voluntary support of its member
organizations. In an economic environment where budgets are being cut
both in public and private organizations the ADSG can find it difficult to
raise enough funds to upscale its activities.
Overlapping
Isolation from other relevant local initiatives: There are lots of sustainability
initiatives going on in Abu Dhabi and not a mechanism to ensure
coordination. Therefore there is a risk of duplicity and overlapping.
Success
Become a victim of success: The ADSG is a small organization with limited
human and financial resources and can become a victim of success if we
are not able to develop the appropriate mechanisms to satisfy demand.
Growing local attention to sustainability: The Abu Dhabi Policy

Agenda 2030 Mapping the Road Ahead defines the vision of the
Emirate to achieve sustainable development, build a cohesive
society and an open economy capable of global competitiveness.
This explicit mention to the goal of sustainable development
opens a window to advocate for sustainability at the local level.
Demand for improved coordination: There is an increasing demand
for coordination of sustainability efforts and so far there is not an
institution at the local level that acts as meeting point to gather
information about sustainability initiatives in Abu Dhabi.
Demand for membership: There is an increasing interest for
sustainability at the local level, and even when the ADSG has
maintained a low profile there is a strong interest for
membership.
Page 14 of 32
5. ADSG Strategy (2011-2013)

5.1
Our Vision
Sustainability management is considered a competitive advantage for organizational success in Abu Dhabi.
To achieve this vision we will pursue the following six strategic goals:
Deliverables/Products
Mission
To promote sustainability management in Abu Dhabi by providing learning and

knowledge sharing opportunities for government, private and not for profit
organizations in a spirit of cooperation and open dialogue.
Strategic Goals
Goal 1: Raise awareness and understanding of sustainability

management and reporting principles and practices
Goal 2: Facilitate the adoption of sustainability management and

reporting practices
Goal 3: Provide a forum for experience sharing and learning about

sustainability management and reporting practices
Goal 4: Support sustainability initiatives within the Emirate of

Abu Dhabi
Goal 5: Create opportunities for international cooperation and

recognition
Goal 6: Build
organization
an
excellent,
autonomous
and
sustainable
Portal
Newsletter
Publications
Seminars
Trainingmeetings
Trainingprograms
Trainingoftrainers
Oneononesupport
Mentoring
Benchmarking
Externalassurance
Awards
GSmeetings
Forumquarterlymeetings
CEO/MDmeetings
Abu
Dhabi
Annual
SustainabilityForum
Flagshipprograms
Campaigns
Affiliations
Partnerships
Conferences
Members
Strategy
Actionplan
Budget
MOUs
Productsandservices
AnnualReport
Our strategy to achieve each one of our strategic goals is described in the following pages. First, we present
the goal and the strategic indicator to measure progress in the short and medium term; Second, we describe
the current situation; Third, we present the initiatives that we will deploy to achieve our goal; and Fourth, we
suggest the expected deliverables. In Annex 1 we present our strategic projects in a summary table, and in
Annex 2 we present operational indicators that we will use to measure our achievements.
Page 15 of 32
5.2
Strategic Goal 1
Goal 1: Raise awareness and understanding of sustainability management and reporting principles and practices
Description
High level of awareness and understanding of sustainability amongst government, private and not
for profit organizations.
Indicators
Baseline
2010
Sustainability Awareness Index
Targets
2011
2013
TBM
1. Current situation
During our first two years we have focused on raising the level of awareness amongst our members, but less so
amongst other Abu Dhabi organizations. However, although there is no comprehensive data about the level of
awareness and understanding about sustainability in Abu Dhabi there seems to be a high level of awareness of
corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the UAE.
According to a study on the state of Corporate Social Responsibility and corporate governance in the UAE10
conducted by the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
collaboration with the Emirates Foundation, almost 70% of responding businesses reported being aware of CSR.
The study covered four areas of CSR practice, namely, community, natural environment, marketplace, and
workplace, revealing that there is a high level of awareness of CSR in the UAE.
The study provided some insights about the drivers for CSR in the country: better image and reputation (46%),
preservation of the environment (45%), top management values and beliefs (44%), increasing productivity (42%),
better relationship with government (41%), increasing employee loyalty (40%) compliance with Islamic values and
practices (Zakat).
The study also revealed the main barriers to implement CSR in the UAE which differed for companies that reported
being aware of CSR and those that reported not being aware of CSR. For companies that reported being aware of
CSR the main barriers were internal: lack of financial resources (30%); inability to accommodate a CSR function in
the companys structure (28%), and perceived high cost of CSR (23%) followed by some external barriers: lack of
incentives (26%); and lack of appropriate institutions to encourage CSR (22%). Resistance by employees seems to
be the least important barrier to CSR implementation (6%). For companies that reported not being aware of CSR
the main barriers to implement CSR were internal: lack of CSR knowledge (23%), inability to accommodate a CSR
function in the companys structure (21%), lack of CSR awareness (21%); perceived high cost of CSR (4%), and lack
of financial resources (14%). Resistance by employees seems to be the least important barrier to CSR
implementation (6%).
However, although the level of awareness seems high, more information about the level of understanding of the
implications of sustainability in Abu Dhabi is required in order to understand where we stand and which is our
baseline regarding this goal. For this reason is not possible yet to measure the baseline for this goal. We will need
to design and conduct a survey to measure the sustainability awareness level.
So far, we have identified the perception of our members regarding the sustainability issues where a better level of
understanding is required. In January 2010, we conducted a survey with this purpose. 40% of members answered
the survey that shown the following results: 88% of the respondents expressed interest in sustainable procurement
(evaluation and selection of suppliers and supplier development programs); 88% expressed interest in addressing
community needs through social investment; 75% were interested in human rights; 75% in environmental
management; 63% in labour practices and decent work; 63% in public policies and 50% in sustainable investment and
sustainable government financial assistance.
10
Rettab, B., A. Ben Brik, and K. Mellahi (2010): Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai Chamber
Center for Responsible Business: Dubai.
Page 16 of 32
2. Initiatives
Knowledge creation and dissemination: We will inform and inspire our members and other
organizations in Abu Dhabi about how they can contribute to understand and address some of the
pressing economic, social and environmental issues that affect our present and future development.
We will create, collect and disseminate knowledge, news, trends, best practices and case studies
through our portal, newsletter, publications and seminars and other media. We will analyze and rate
the effectiveness of our efforts to generate and raise awareness about sustainability within
government, private and not for profit organizations in Abu Dhabi through a Sustainability Awareness
Index.
Communication: We will reach out to those sectors that are strategic to achieve our mission:
government, business, academia, and media. We will disseminate information about the ADSG
through media (newspapers, magazines, social networks) and specialised websites.
3. Products and services
i)
Portal: The portal is one of our channels to communicate with members and with the general
public. It gives access to ADSG resources (information, initiatives, events, news) some of which are
open to the public and some of which are members-only. The portal contains a Resource Centre
where relevant knowledge for Abu Dhabi about sustainability created by our members or third
parties is consolidated. The portal also gives access to the websites of the champion entities that
are leading the way regarding specific sustainability issues as stated in Policy Agenda 2030 and other
national and local policies and programs.
ii)
Newsletter: The quarterly newsletter is one of our channels to communicate with members and
with the general public. It gives access to information about ADSG news and events, sustainability
trends, recommended readings and best practices relevant for Abu Dhabi.
iii)
Publications: The publications are documents produced by the ADSG, its members or partners
used to generate and disseminate knowledge about the ADSG and its members and about
sustainability issues relevant for Abu Dhabi and the UAE. Publications are focused on applied
research which can be used by members to improve sustainability management and reporting. We
will produce the following types of publications:
Issue briefs: issue briefs are documents that raise awareness about economic, social or
environmental topics relevant for Abu Dhabi. To provide information to our member
organizations about their sustainability context we will develop an issue brief Abu Dhabi:
Our case for sustainability.
Guides and Tools: Guides are documents that provide a step-by-step approach to manage
processes or issues to encourage the adoption of sustainability. Tools are aids to implement
a process related to sustainability management such as templates, tables, presentations, etc
Our publications complement our training initiatives so that we can address the gap between
organizations awareness of sustainability and their ability to implement sustainability
initiatives. To provide step-by-step guidance to our members about how to adopt
sustainability management and reporting practices we will develop a guide The sustainability
management cycle: A handbook for organizations and a toolbox The sustainability
management cycle: A toolbox for organizations to facilitate implementation and will make
the guide and the toolbox available on line.
Page 17 of 32
Guide & Toolbox - The sustainability management cycle: a step-by-step approach

Plan
Do
Check
Act
Understand the roadmap to sustainability.

Build the business case for sustainability.
Asses your sustainability maturity level.
Develop a stakeholder focused sustainability strategy and action plan.
Implement sustainability in the workplace, in the marketplace, in the environment, and in the community.
Assess progress towards sustainability through a sustainability score card
Communicate with stakeholders through a sustainability report.
Get feedback from stakeholders through proactive engagement.
Case studies: Case studies are documents that share experience regarding how a
sustainability challenge or opportunity was addressed by a member organization or by third
parties. To provide examples to our members about how sustainability issues are addressed
in the local context we will document our members experiences in a case study
Sustainability in practice: The case of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group.
Green and white papers: Green papers are documents to stimulate debate on a particular
topic. White papers are documents that address a sustainability challenge or an opportunity
and offer a solution to be implemented through collective action. To provide guidance to our
members and to other interested organizations in Abu Dhabi about how to address key
sustainability issues we will develop a white paper with the outputs of each of our flagship
programs.
Brochure: The ADSG brochure offers detailed information about the Group, its mission,
the services provided and the expected benefits of membership. The brochure is sent to
members (to share information about the Group within their organizations), candidates (to
raise their interest in the Group) as well as stakeholders interested in the ADSG (to share
information). We will update our brochure as often as necessary to keep our stakeholders
informed about us.
Press releases: An ADSG press release is a written communication directed at media for
the purpose of announcing an event or an achievement related to the ADSG and its
members. We will issue at least one quarterly press release to keep the public informed
about our activities and achievements.
Articles: An ADSG article is a written communications about an event, an achievement, or a
case study directed at media for the purpose of raising awareness, sharing knowledge or
calling for action about a sustainability issue. We will produce at least one quarterly article
about the ADSG and our members to keep the public informed about our activities and
achievements.
iv)
Seminars: The seminars are events to raise awareness and understanding about sustainability in
Abu Dhabi. The seminars provide a forum to share knowledge and openly discuss the challenges
and opportunities linked to sustainability. To encourage the uptake of sustainability in Abu Dhabi
we will focus our awareness activities on priority sectors. To select priority sectors we will take
into consideration their contribution to the local economy, to environmental sustainability or to
social development. In 2011-2013 we will focus on the construction, hospitality, financial sector,
ICT, health, education, and media sectors.
v)
Index: The sustainability awareness index measures the level of awareness and understating of
sustainability within government, private and not for profit organizations in Abu Dhabi. To know
the impact of our awareness activities we will conduct an annual sustainability awareness survey in
Abu Dhabi.
Page 18 of 32
5.3
Strategic Goal 2
Goal 2: Facilitate the adoption of sustainability management and reporting practices

Description
Best practices of sustainability management and reporting11 adopted amongst government, private
and not for profit organizations.
Indicators
Baseline
2010
No. of organizations reporting their sustainability performance
Targets
2011
2013
15
There is no comprehensive data about the level of integration of sustainability management and reporting practices
in Abu Dhabi from a holistic perspective. At the country level, the study on the state of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) and corporate governance in the UAE12 released by the Centre for Responsible Business
(CRB) from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the Emirates Foundation indicates
a significant gap between companies awareness of CSR and their willingness and ability to implement CSR
initiatives.
The study covered four areas of CSR practice, namely, workplace, marketplace, environment, and community,
revealing that although there is a high level of awareness of CSR in the UE (almost 70% of responding businesses
reported that they are aware of CSR) there is a low level of CSR management and reporting practices (more than
90% of responding businesses do not adopt CSR policies and practices associated with auditing, monitoring and
reporting CSR objectives and targets or CSR activities).
The study reveals data about the most common areas of CSR involvement (community support, environmental
protection, marketplace CSR activities mostly focused on customer relations management, and some activities in
the supply chain, and workplace CSR activities, mostly focused on health and safety) and how the involvement is
managed (most businesses get involved in short-term activities; few have a monitoring system in place to measure
impact of their donations or investments in CSR initiatives; most act in isolation from other organizations).
A comparison of results across the seven Emirates reveals that Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the driving force for CSR
in the country. But, there are differences regarding how the two emirates approach CSR. For instance, 29% of
responding companies from Abu Dhabi expect companies to show concern for their local communities compared
with only 12% of companies based in Dubai, or 42% of companies from Abu Dhabi reported lack of transparency in
corporate practices, compared with only 20% in Dubai. Overall companies based in Abu Dhabi are more active in
workplace activities and CSR activities to preserve the environment while companies in Dubai are more active in
marketplace activities than other Emirates.
There is also some information available about specific CSR practices in the marketplace. The Centre for
Responsible Business (CRB) has recently released a research study on Awareness of Green Purchasing in Dubai13
that reports that 80% of businesses are aware of the concept of green supply while 41% are looking for ways to
implement green practices within their purchasing functions. The report also sheds light on the drivers and barriers
to green purchasing stating that improving a companys environmental performance (89%) is considered the most
important driver while lack of green information and data systems (i.e., public database) and the physical availability
of green materials and products are considered the main barriers that limit the adoption of green purchasing.
11
Best practices of sustainability management are economic, environmental or social practices conducted to minimize the bad impacts or
maximize the positive impacts of an organizations activities on its stakeholders. For example, practices to reduce water or energy consumption,
practices to encourage gender diversity in the board of directors or in senior management, practices to protect consumers rights, practices to
ensure workers and consumers health and safety, practices to facilitate stakeholder engagement, etc. Best practices of sustainability reporting
are practices to measure and disclose the economic, social and environmental impacts of an organizations activities on its stakeholders.
12
Rettab, B., A. Ben Brik, and K. Mellahi (2010): Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai Chamber
Center for Responsible Business: Dubai. Not available on line.
13
Rettab, B., and A. Ben Brik (2010): Green Purchasing in Dubai: Practices, Drivers and Performance. Dubai Chamber Center for Responsible
Business: Dubai. http://web2.dubaichamber.ae/pdf/reports/Green_Purchasing_in_Dubai_final_edited.pdf
Page 19 of 32
2. Initiatives
Capability building: We will build the capabilities of our members and other organizations in Abu Dhabi to
adopt best sustainability management and reporting practices. We will identify the needs of our members and
will organise or help to organise training activities to cover them, taking into consideration their different
learning stages and experiences regarding sustainability. We will provide the new members with training and we
will encourage existing members to extend training about sustainability to all their staff to avoid succession
planning problems within the sustainability teams and to facilitate the uptake of sustainability practices. We will
also coach new members through one-on-one support to help them understand the roadmap to sustainability
and to use existing tools to integrate best sustainability management and reporting practices. We will
encourage existing members to be available as subject matter specialists and to mentor new members to help
them to progress more effectively in their journey towards sustainability.
Quality assurance: We will encourage our members to enhance the quality, credibility, and reliability of their
sustainability reports through internal benchmarking and external assurance. Whenever possible we will
provide the tools and the coaching to do the benchmarking.
Recognition: We will recognize the achievements of our members and other organizations in Abu Dhabi to
adopt best sustainability management and reporting practices. We will request existing excellence awards14 to
give additional points to the organizations that have issued a sustainability report and will develop an Abu Dhabi
Award for Sustainability Excellence.

i)
Training meetings: Training meetings are half day or one day activities designed to facilitate the
acquisition of knowledge, skills and competences about sustainability management and reporting.
They are designed to share experiences with peers or to receive training from invited experts.
They are conducted every quarter and are usually scheduled one day after the Forum Quarterly
Meetings.
ii)
Training programs: Training programs are courses to develop local leadership for sustainable
development at the senior, middle and junior level. They are developed in partnership with the
local and international education community. They follow the step-by-step approach to the
sustainability management cycle presented in the ADSG guides and tools. We will support the
creation of a Sustainability Institute to offer these programs.
iii)
Training of trainers: Training of trainers are activities designed to facilitate the acquisition of
knowledge, skills and competences to train others on sustainability management and reporting.
They are designed to help members organizations to integrate sustainability in employee training
programs. We will support members to impart a training module for employees.
iv)
One-on-one support: One-on-one support is a coaching process designed to help candidates

and new members to initiate their journey towards sustainability. One-on-one support focuses
on three levels of achievement:
1. Understand the case for doing right or moral case, that is, the values and principles that
should underlie sustainable strategies and operations. To facilitate this process we will
recommend candidates and new members to read and understand the new International
Standard providing guidelines for social responsibility ISO 26000.
2. Understand the case for doing well or business case, that is, the tangible and intangible
benefits of integrating socio-economic and environmental concerns into business
strategies and core operations. To facilitate this process we will recommend candidates
and new members to produce a business case matrix showing the connection between
good governance, economic, environmental and social practices and business benefits,
such as higher sales, reduced costs and lower risks.
14
Abu Dhabi Award for Excellence in Government Performance for public agencies and the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA) for private
companies both aligned with the EFQM model.
Page 20 of 32
3. Understand the current sustainability performance of the organization. To facilitate this

process we recommend candidates and new members to produce a sustainability report
following the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Reporting Framework15. This report
provides the baseline data to understand the performance of the organization regarding
its governance, economic, social and environmental management and start a PDCA (Plan,
Do, Check, Act) sustainability cycle, as requirements for candidates to become full
members. A sustainability score card with 10 basic sustainability indicators to report
about will be provided to new members. The sustainability scorecard will also be a
reporting requirement for existing members and will be used to benchmark collective
performance across years.
v)
Mentoring: Mentoring is a process to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from one organization
(the mentor) to another organisation (the mentee) in order to accelerate the learning process of
new members. The mentor is someone that has been there, done that before and who is
willing to share with others its experiences of success as well as its challenges. Mentors use
different methodologies to transfer knowledge to their mentees such as coaching, counselling or
discussions. We will encourage our members to become mentors of other organizations that
are, for example, members of their value chain or peers from the same sector through initiatives
to encourage transparency in the value chain.
vi)
Benchmarking: Benchmarking is a process to compare an organizations performance to best

practices from other organizations. We will encourage our members to benchmark their
sustainability practices and reports against international best practices and we provide the tools
and one-on-one support to apply them.
vii)
External assurance: GRI uses the term external assurance in the GRI Guidelines (p. 38)16 to
refer to activities designed to result in published conclusions on the quality of the report and the
information contained within it. This includes, but is not limited to, consideration of underlying
processes for preparing this information. This is different from activities designed to assess or
validate the quality or level of performance of an organization, such as issuing performance
certifications or compliance assessments. We will encourage our members to conduct a GRI
check of their application level and an external assurance of their sustainability reports whenever
possible17.
viii)
Awards: The ADSG will collaborate with existing excellence award programs such as Sh. Khalifa
Excellence Award and Abu Dhabi Award for Excellence in Government Performance (ADAEP)
to facilitate that these awards recognize the achievements of organizations that have published a
sustainability report by granting them additional points18 .The ADSG will develop, launch and
promote or help to promote the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Award to recognize the achievements
of organizations in Abu Dhabi that have adopted best sustainability management and reporting
practices. The ADSG will disseminate information about sustainability awards at the national,
regional or international level which recognize the achievements of organizations that have
adopted best sustainability management and reporting practices and will encourage members
participation.
15
http://www.globalreporting.org/ReportingFramework/
16
http://www.globalreporting.org/NR/rdonlyres/B52921DA-D802-406B-B067-4EA11CFED835/3882/G3_GuidelinesENU.pdf
17
External review, verification, or external assurance are terms often used interchangeably to refer to the evaluation of the nature and extent of
adherence to the principles used to publicly disclose information on sustainability performance (i.e. the GRI reporting framework). Assurance has
a more formal connotation and is usually used when referring to an assurance process that follows professional standards for assurance like the
International Standard for Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3000. An assurance process also usually leads to auditors providing an assurance
statement in the sustainability report.
18
This recognition is consistent with the new fundamental concept of excellence Taking Responsibility for a Sustainable Future that was
introduced in the 2010 review of the EFQM model.
Page 21 of 32
5.4
Strategic Goal 3
Goal 3: Provide a forum for experience sharing and learning about sustainability management and reporting
practices
Objective
Experience shared amongst government, private and not for profit organizations.
Indicators
Baseline
2010
No. of sustainability practices shared and adopted by ADSG members
Targets
2011
2013
TBM
Learning and knowledge sharing is at the core of the ADSG mission. Our Charter describes four types of forums to
achieve this objective: the General Secretariat Meetings, the Forum Quarterly Meetings, the CEO/MD Leadership
Group Meeting and the Annual Sustainability Forum. During the past two years we have tried different formats for
the meetings and we have finally found formats that are effective and efficient to achieve our mission.
The General Secretariat meetings have evolved from process oriented to strategy focused meetings. The Forum
Quarterly Meetings have evolved into lively forums focused on sharing experiences within members and with guest
speakers. The CEO/MD Leadership Group meetings have evolved into operative meetings where strategic decisions
about the future of the group are taken. The Annual Sustainability Forum is yet to be convened.
2. Initiatives
Experience-Sharing meetings: We will facilitate member connections to learn from each other and to
foster collaboration around sustainability management, reporting and good governance practices. We will also
facilitate member connections with other local, national, regional or international organizations. We will do this
through our General Secretariat Meetings, the Forum Quarterly Meetings, and the CEO/MD Leadership Group
Meeting and the Annual Sustainability Forum.

i)
General Secretariat Meetings: The General Secretariat Meetings is an operational meeting to

coordinate and facilitate ADSG activities on behalf of the members. They are held monthly.
ii)
Forum Quarterly Meetings: The Forum quarterly meeting is an operational and experience sharing
meeting held every quarter. The meeting follow an experience sharing, learning, and action items format
including a review of the performance of ADSG in achieving its goals. Members can take part in the Forum
with up to two additional participants besides their representative. With the agreement of the ADSG
Forum, the General Secretariat may extend an invitation to future members or guests to attend the
meeting as observers; otherwise the meeting is restricted to ADSG members.
iii)
CEO/MD Leadership Group Meetings: The Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors
(CEO/MD) leadership Group Meeting is held once a year to demonstrate ongoing commitment to
sustainability management within each organization and to provide an opportunity for knowledge sharing
amongst executives. The ADSG annual report is presented for review and approval. In light of the
executive review, the existing ADSG strategy may be revised to maintain alignment with the overall
sustainability agenda of the Abu Dhabi Emirate. Any resultant executive directives are cascaded to the
membership through the General Secretariat and the ADSG forum.
iv)
Abu Dhabi Annual Sustainability Forum: The Abu Dhabi Annual Sustainability Forum is held annually
to share and promote ADSG activities with a broader audience. The aim of the forum is to demonstrate
the benefits of adopting the principles of sustainability by drawing upon the experience of both ADSG
members and other active organizations. Existing and potential ADSG members are encouraged by the
General Secretariat to attend this event as a fundamental step to understanding the requirements and
benefits for implementing sustainability management.
Page 22 of 32
5.5
Strategic Goal 4
Goal 4: Support sustainability initiatives within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi19

Description
Economic, environmental, social and governance (EESG) issues advocated by the ADSG addressed
by its members and by other organizations in Abu Dhabi.
Indicators
Baseline
2010
No. of members and other organizations in Abu Dhabi that adopt best
practices flagged by ADSG programs
Targets
2011
2013
TBM
In recent years Abu Dhabi has witnessed the emergence of several initiatives to pursue economic, social or
environmental sustainability. However, so far, the ADSG is the only forum which addresses the three dimensions of
sustainability as an interdependent field of practice. It is also the only forum which includes members from three
sectors: government, private and not for profit organizations. This offers us an excellent platform to support
sustainability initiatives in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi by means of advocacy.
For this to happen we require quality information about the situation at a macroeconomic and a microeconomic
level to do a gap analysis to determine where we can add value. We expect to be able to use the report about the
Case for Sustainability in Abu Dhabi commissioned by the Executive Council which will be available in June 2010
together with the Policy Agenda 2030 to decide about the priority issues to focus our support in the coming years
as well as the right partners to address those issues.
So far we have already identified four issues proposed by members to develop flagship programs. These programs
will help ADSG members and other organizations in Abu Dhabi to use collective action to encourage systemic
improvements regarding economic, environmental and social and governance issues.
2. Initiatives
Advocacy: We will draw attention to pressing economic, environmental, social and governance (EESG) issues
that affect the present and future development of Abu Dhabi. We will use flagship programs and campaigns to
raise awareness, provide information and suggest collective actions to address those issues.

i)
Flagship programs: Flagship programs are actions to raise awareness, provide information and
encourage collective action by the public and private sector to achieve systemic improvements regarding
economic, environmental, social and governance issues which are critical for Abu Dhabi. Critical issues are
those stemming from the Policy Agenda 2030 and other national plans and strategies, as well as those
proposed by members as a result of problems encountered while trying to adopt sustainability
management practices. Flagship programs identify a problem, specify the cause and propose a solution.
They are built around topics (procurement, carbon management, labour practices) or around sectors
(education, media, financial services, or construction).
At present four programs have been approved by the General Secretariat to be developed in 2010:
Sustainable Procurement; Sustainable Information and Communication Technologies (ICT); Sustainable
Waste Management; Sustainable Labour Practices and Decent Work. One program has been proposed by
the General Secretariat to be developed in 2011: Education for Sustainability.
ii)
Campaigns: Campaigns are actions that use media to influence and change the behaviour of organizations
or individuals.
19
The original goal of Support sustainability initiatives within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and enhance opportunities for international recognition
has been divided in two goals Support sustainability initiatives within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Enhance opportunities for international
cooperation and recognition, the reason being that the first goal is more locally oriented and the second goal is more international oriented and
both require different approaches.
Page 23 of 32
5.6
Strategic Goal 5
Goal 5: Create opportunities for international cooperation and recognition20

Description
The ADSG recognized by the international community as an active group in promoting

sustainability management and reporting
Indicators
Baseline
2010
No. of citations, articles and interviews by international organizations
Targets
2011
2013
Initially we focused on building internal capacity and producing some results before raising our public profile. At the
end of 2009 we started to develop linkages with regional and international organizations working on sustainability.
In November 2009, we sent a delegation of 4 members to the Annual Conference of the Arab Forum for
Environment and Development (AFED). In April 2010, we imparted our first lecture in a seminar hosted by
INSEAD, one of the worlds leading business schools. In May 2010, we sent a delegation of 13 members to the
Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency, the worlds most important event about
sustainability reporting. These activities have been featured in INSEAD Middle East Campus website21, in the GRI
May22 and June23 Newsletter (18.000 subscribers), in the GRI Conference website24 (1.200 attendees) and in the
Justmeans website25 (150,000 followers).
2. Initiatives
Networking: We will facilitate member connections with like-minded organizations to foster dialogue and
collaboration around improving sustainability management practices. We will grow our network through
affiliations, partnerships and meetings with the most credible and effective organizations which share our
interest in sustainability.

Networking
i)
Affiliations: The ADSG will be affiliated with local, regional and international organizations with similar
interests regarding the advancement of sustainability management and reporting. In 2010, we will become
an organizational stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative and propose future affiliations.
ii)
Partnerships: The ADSG will work in partnership with local, regional and international organizations to
advance the state of sustainability management and reporting. In 2010, we will develop a partnership with
the Global Reporting Initiative to advance sustainability reporting and propose future partnerships to
advance sustainability management and reporting in Abu Dhabi.
iii)
Conferences: The ADSG will participate in local, regional and international conferences on sustainability
management and reporting. In 2010, we participated in the Amsterdam Global Conference on
Sustainability and Transparency and every year we will participate with a Delegation in at least one
international sustainability event.
20
The original goal Enhance opportunities for international recognition has been replaced by Create opportunities for international
cooperation and recognition, the reason being that to be recognized be need first to cooperate.
21
http://www.insead.edu/middle_east_campus/masdar.cfm
22
http://www.globalreporting.org/NewsEventsPress/LatestNews/2010/NewsApril10GRIAndMENARegion.htm
23
http://www.globalreporting.org/NewsEventsPress/LatestNews/2010/News_May_10_Delegations.htm
24
http://www.amsterdamgriconference.org/index.php?id=101
25
http://www.justmeans.com/videos/Interview-with-Graham-Rae--Live-from-the-2010-Global-Conference-on-Transparency-andSustainability/917.html
Page 24 of 32
5.7
Strategic Goal 6
Goal 6: Build an excellent, sustainable and autonomous organization26

Description A critical mass of high impact organizations engaged as ADSG members
Indicators
Baseline
2010
No. of members
Targets
2011
2013
21
Thanks to the knowledge acquired during the past two years about the needs of our members and the sustainability
context in Abu Dhabi we are prepared to make a shift from the intensity of the start-up phase of building a network
and developing the services and processes required to engage our members to being in a position to use the lessons
learnt to respond effectively to the needs of our members and other organizations in Abu Dhabi to improve
sustainability management and reporting.
To make this shift we need a critical mass of organizations engaged to adopt best sustainability management and
reporting practices and a performance management framework.
Membership
Members: Our members today include government, private and not for profit organizations. They represent
sectors which are critical for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi from an economic, environmental or social perspective,
including energy, industry, transport, tourism, health, oil and gas, construction and building, investment, financial
services, environmental protection, youth development and enterprise development. Until now we have acted
in a low profile mode and used word of mouth to promote the benefits of ADSG membership. In spite of this
we are now 21 members and with a number of expressions of interest to join in the pipeline. As soon as we
start our outreach activities we expect that we will be able to expand quickly but before that we will ensure
that we have the capability to provide outstanding value to all member segments.
Membership criteria: Candidates have to comply with some conditions to become members. In 2009 we
proposed seven membership criteria: legal form, location, sector, size, commitment, reputation, contribution. In
2010 a new criteria, reporting, will be added. From July 2010, candidates will be required to publish a
sustainability report of at least level of application C according to the GRI Reporting Framework27 to be ratified
as full members.
Membership process: Members are recruited through peer nomination o self-nomination. In 2009 we
proposed seven steps to become a member: expression of interest, compliance review, expression of no
objections, signature of the declaration, ratification of full membership and welcome letter. In 2010 a new step,
reporting, will be added. From July 2010, candidates will be required to publish a sustainability report of at least
level of application C according to the GRI Reporting Framework to be ratified as full members.
26
This goal replaced the original goal Issue an annual report to focus on managing performance and not only on reporting performance.
27
http://www.globalreporting.org/GRIReports/ApplicationLevels/
Page 25 of 32

Performance Management Framework28
Leadership
CEO/MD Leadership Group: The Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors (CEO/MD) Leadership
Group provides advocacy, strategic planning and review overall ADSG performance. They met annually in the
CEO/MD Leadership Group meeting (see goal 3).
General Secretariat: The General Secretariat is responsible for the coordination and facilitation of ADSG
activities on behalf of the members. The General Secretariat members and the General Secretary are elected
every two years. They meet periodically in the General Secretariat meeting (see goal 3).
Member Forum: The member organizations and their representatives fulfil their commitments under the
ADSG Declaration and actively participate and contribute to the ADSG activities. The representatives are
senior enough to influence sustainability policy and performance within their respective organizations. They
meet every quarter in the Forum quarterly meeting (see goal 3).
People
Secretariat: The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi provides guidance and support to ADSG activities and in
collaboration with the ADSG General Secretariat handles administrative tasks related to the ADSG through a
Sustainability Unit. The unit is led by the Director of the Policy and Strategy Sector and is constituted by one
senior sustainability specialist who joined in June 2009, and a sustainability coordinator who joined in
November 2010. To ensure continuity a strategy for the long term sustainability of the ADSG should be agreed
with the ADSG members in 2010.
Strategy and operational plans
Strategy: The ADSG reviews the strategy during the CEO/MD meeting held in June. In light of the review the
existing strategy is revised to maintain alignment with the overall sustainability agenda of the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi. In June 2010 the first ADSG strategy will be presented for approval to the CEO/MD Leadership Group.
Action plan: The General Secretariat proposes and implements the ADSG Action Plan. The Action Plan is
presented and approved by the ADSG members during the Forum Quarterly Meeting in January. The Action
Plan explains the activities to be developed on an annual basis to achieve each of our strategic goals. In 2009 we
approved our action plan in March and we produced an interim quarterly progress report in September to
monitor progress. In 2010 we approved the new action plan in March and we produced quarterly progress
reports which we shared with members during the forum quarterly meetings.
Financial resources
Budget: An annual budget is proposed to assign resources for the deployment of the Action Plan.
Financial plan: The ADSG does not have yet its own independent financial resources. So far, human
resources have been financed by the Executive Council and managed by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi
on behalf of the ADSG. Activities have been financed by members through sponsorships. Members have also
provided support in kind in the form of time from their representatives to participate in meetings and task
forces. The financial support of the Executive Council-Abu Dhabi is planned for a three year period (January
2009 to December 2011). To ensure continuity, a strategy for the long term sustainability of the ADSG should
be agreed with the ADSG members in 2010.
Partnerships
28
Memorandum of understanding (MOU): International partnerships are planned and documented through
a memorandum of understanding. In 2009 we started to build partnerships with international and local
organizations championing issues related to our flagship programs. I n 2010 we expect to formalize those
partnerships through MOUs.
The framework is aligned with the EFQM Excellence Model.
Page 26 of 32

Processes
Processes: The processes required to deliver products and services and implement the action plan are
developed or reviewed by the General Secretariat in collaboration with members through task forces. In 2009
we developed processes to manage membership and service delivery. We also developed the ADSG
performance management cycle which includes the processes required to ensure that strategic goals are met in
an effective and efficient manner. Those processes are focused on planning, implementing the action plan,
monitoring and evaluating achievements and reporting performance.
Products and services

Value proposition: To maintain existing members and attract new ones in 2009 we developed ADSG
portfolio of products and services to assist members to improve sustainability management and reporting.
ADSG PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Goal 1
PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE
To raise awareness and understanding
An online portal to share knowledge
A newsletter to share news.
A line of publications to create and disseminate knowledge.
A seminar series to share best practices.
Goal 3
SHARING EXPERIENCE
To learn from others
An Annual Sustainability Forum to share knowledge with a

broader audience.
An Annual CEO/MD Leadership Group Meeting to set up

strategic objectives.
A Quarterly Member Forum to review performance, update

plans and share experience.
Regular General Secretariat Meetings to coordinate and facilitate

ADSG activities
Goal 5
BUILDING NETWORKS
To create opportunities for international cooperation
and recognition
A platform to share knowledge and experiences with other

organizations with similar objectives in the United Arab Emirates,
the Arab World, and Worldwide.
A platform to increase mutual understanding of local and global

sustainability issues.
Goal 2
BUILDING CAPABILITIES
To facilitate the adoption of best practices
Quarterly training activities provided by ADSG members

or invited experts to address collective needs.
One-on-One support provided by internal or external

experts to address needs of new members.
Goal 4
ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE

To support sustainability in Abu Dhabi
A platform to use collective action to achieve systemic

improvements regarding economic, environmental, social
and governance (EESG) issues and to address critical
sustainability issues included in the Policy Agenda 2030.
Goal 6
. MANAGING PERFORMANCE
To improve performance
A platform to assess and communicate collective progress

through an annual report that provides an overview of
how the ADSG carries out its core mission and
contributes to the goal of sustainable development.
Results:
Evidences of the effective implementation of the action plan: The General Secretariat and the
members facilitate the execution of the Action Plan every year. The evidences of the effective implementation
of the action plan are communicated through the ADSG Portal to the members and to the general public.
Monitor and Evaluation reports: The General Secretariat monitors performance and produces and
presents a quarterly report during the Forum Quarterly Meeting by January, April, July, and October. The
Quarterly Reports measure the progress made so far by the ADSG in implementing the Annual Action Plan and
achieving its goals. The reports are presented to members in the Forum Quarterly Meetings.
Page 27 of 32

Annual Report: The General Secretariat issues an Annual Report to the CEO/MD Leadership Group in June
every year. The Annual report explains how the ADSG carried out its core mission and contributed to the
long-term goal of sustainable development by implementing its Action Plan. In June 2010 we produced our first
annual report explaining the results achieved during our first two years of activity (June 2008-June 2010).
2. Initiatives
Membership: We will grow our network by attracting new members. We will ensure that we engage high
impact organizations, because of their size, their sector and their level of influence to drive change. We will
focus our recruitment efforts on sectors considered priority. In 2011-2013 these sectors will be construction,
hospitality, financial sector, ICT, health, media, and education. We will ensure that we engage proactive
members. From July 2010, we will require candidates to publish a baseline sustainability report of at least level
of application C according to the GRI Reporting Framework to be ratified as full members.
Performance management framework: We will build an excellent, sustainable and autonomous not-forprofit organization and will use a performance management framework based on the EFQM model to ensure
that our goals are consistently met in an effective and efficient manner.
Leadership: We will strengthen the commitment of the CEO/MD Leadership Group through their annual
meeting. We will increase our visibility to the CEO/MD Leadership Group through communication
activities (quarterly briefings). We will encourage that the General Secretariat is lead by a General
Secretary. We will encourage that the representatives in the Member Forum are senior enough to
influence sustainability policy and performance within their respective organizations.
People: We will create a culture that motivates people, builds commitment and enables them to use their
skills and knowledge for the benefit of the ADSG.
Strategy: We will develop a stakeholder focused strategy that will be revised every year during the
CEO/MD Leadership Group Meeting. We will also develop and deploy annual action plans to deliver the
strategy.
Financial resources: We will assign financial resources to implement our plans. We will diversify our
sources of funding to enhance our economic sustainability. We will rely on sponsorships, membership fees,
and products and services delivery to finance our activities.
Partnerships: We will plan and manage local and international partnerships, in order to support strategy
and policies and the effective operation of processes (For international partnerships see Strategic Goal 4,
Enhance opportunities for international cooperation and recognition).
Processes: We will develop and deploy policies and processes to deliver the strategy.
Products and services: We will develop and deliver products and services that provide value to our
members by addressing their needs to improve sustainability management and reporting practices.
Results: We will asses our performance and will explain how we carried out our core mission and
contributed to achieve our strategic goals responding to the expectations of our members and other
stakeholders in an annual report to be presented to the CEO/MD Leadership Group.
3. Deliverables
i)
Members
ii)
Strategy
iii)
Action plan
iv)
Budget
v)
Memorandum of agreements
vi)
vii)
Annual report
Page 28 of 32
5.8
Summary of strategic initiatives

ABU DHABI SUSTAINABILITY GROUP - Strategic initiatives and projects 2011-2013
Vision and mission
Goals
Objectives
Initiatives
Products and
services/Deliverables
Projects
(2011, 2012, 2013)
Our vision:
Index
Sustainability Awareness Index
Sustainability
management is
considered a
competitive
advantage for
organizational
success in Abu
Dhabi
Portal
Resource Centre
Newsletter
4 quarterly issues
Our mission:
To promote
sustainability
management in Abu
Dhabi by providing
learning and
knowledge sharing
opportunities for
government,
private, and not for
profit organizations
in a spirit of
cooperation and
open dialogue.
29
Year29
Issue brief Abu Dhabi: Our case for

sustainability.
Guide The sustainability management cycle: A
handbook for organizations
Toolbox The sustainability management
cycle: A toolbox for organizations
G1 - Raise
awareness and
understanding of
sustainability
High level of awareness

and
understanding
of
sustainability
amongst
government, private and
not
for
profit
organizations
Knowledge
creation
and
dissemination
Publications (Knowledge)
Case study: Sustainability in practice: The

case of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group
White paper: Sustainable procurement
White paper: Sustainable ICT
Communication
White paper: Waste Management

White paper: Sustainable labour practices and
decent work
Brochure About Us
Publications (Communication)
Press releases (4 quarterly releases)

Articles (4 quarterly articles)
Member seminars (Guest speakers)
Seminars
Public seminars (Construction, Hospitality,

Financial Sector, ICT, Health, Education, and
Media)
To be decided. Dates will depend on the resources available.
Page 29 of 32

ABU DHABI SUSTAINABILITY GROUP - Strategic initiatives and projects 2011-2013
Vision and mission

Our vision:
Sustainability
management is
considered a
competitive
advantage for
organizational
success in Abu
Dhabi
Our mission:
To promote
sustainability
management in Abu
Dhabi by providing
learning and
knowledge sharing
opportunities for
government,
private, and not for
profit organizations
in a spirit of
cooperation and
open dialogue.
Goals
Objectives
Initiatives
G2 - Encourage the
adoption of
sustainability
management
practices
Best
practices
of
sustainability management
and reporting adopted
amongst
government,
private and not for profit
organizations
Capability building
Training meetings
Workshops (4 quarterly meetings)
Quality assurance
Training programs
Sustainability institute
Recognition
Training of trainers
Training module for employees
One-on-one-support
Sustainability case & Scorecard
Mentoring
Transparency in the supply chain
Benchmarking
Global Reporters methodology
External assurance
GRI check, Third party assurance
Awards
AD Award for Sustainability
General Secretariat meeting
Progress scorecard
Forum quarterly meeting
Member seminars (Guest speakers)
CEO/MD meeting
Annual report
Annual Sustainability Forum
Annual forum
Flagship programs
Sustainable procurement
G3 - Provide a
forum for learning
about sustainability
management
through experience
sharing
Experience
shared
amongst
government,
private and not for profit
organizations.
Experience-sharing
meetings
G4 - Support
sustainability
initiatives within the
Emirate of Abu
Dhabi
Economic, environmental,
social and governance
(EESG) issues advocated
by the ADSG addressed by
its members and by other
organizations
in
Abu
Dhabi.
Advocacy
G5 - Enhance
opportunities for
international
cooperation and
recognition
ADSG recognized by the

international community as
an active group promoting
sustainability management
and reporting
Networking
G6 - Build an
excellent,
autonomous and
sustainable
organization
An excellent, autonomous
and sustainable not-forprofit organization.
Products and
services/Deliverables
Projects
Year
(2011, 2012, 2013)
Sustainable ICT
Waste
Labour practices and decent work
Education for sustainability
Affiliations
GRI
Partnerships
GRI, Global Compact
Conferences
GRI, AFED
Membership
Members
Strategy
Performance
management
framework
Performance
management
framework deliverables
Action plan
Budget
MOUs
Annual report
Page 30 of 32
5.9
Summary of strategic and operational indicators
ADSG STRATEGY 2011-2013 STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL INDICATORS

Indicators
Baseline
2010
Targets
2011
2013
Goal 1: Raise awareness and understanding of sustainability management and reporting

principles and practices
Awareness
Sustainability awareness index
Knowledge creation and dissemination
Portal
Newsletter
No. of visits
No. of subscribers
No. of downloads
Publications
No. of research partnerships

No. of publications on line
No. of downloads
Seminars
No. of seminars
No. of attendees
Rate of satisfaction
Communication
Publications
No. of brochures sent

No. of press releases issued
No. of articles published
Goal 2: Facilitate the adoption of sustainability management and reporting practices

Reporting
No. of organizations reporting their sustainability performance
Capability building
Training meetings
No. of training meetings organized

No. of attendees
Training programs
No. of training programs organized

No. of attendees
Training of trainers
No. of training of trainers programs organized

No. of attendees
One-on-one support
No. of members supported

Mentoring
No. of organizations mentored

Quality assurance
Benchmarking
Rate of members reports benchmarked
External assurance
Rate of members reports assured
Recognition
Awards
No. of member winners of Sustainability Awards
Page 31 of 32
ADSG STRATEGY 2011-2013 STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL INDICATORS

Indicators
Baseline
2010
Targets
2011
2013
Goal 3: Provide a forum for experience sharing and learning about sustainability
management and reporting practices
Sharing
No. of sustainability practices shared and adopted by ADSG members
Experience sharing
GS meetings
No. of events
No. of attendees
FQ meetings
No. of events
No. of attendees
CEO/MD Meetings
No. of events
No. of attendees
Annual Sustainability Forum
No. of events
No. of attendees
Goal 4: Support sustainability initiatives within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Adoption
No. of organizations that adopt best practices flagged by ADSG programs
Flagship programs
Sustainable Procurement
No. of organizations that adopt best practices
Sustainable ICT
Sustainable Waste Management
Sustainable Labor Practices
Education for Sustainability

Goal 5: Create opportunities for international cooperation and recognition
International recognition
No. of citations, articles and interviews by international organizations
Networking
Affiliations
No. of affiliations to sustainability organizations
Partnerships (international)
No. of joint initiatives with partner organizations
Conferences
No. of international conferences attended

No. of delegates to international conferences
No. of lectures imparted in international conferences

Goal 6: Build an excellent, autonomous and sustainable organization
Membership
No. of members
Strategy
Strategy
No. of strategies approved by the CEO/MD Leadership Group
Action plan
No. of action plans approved by the Member Forum
Financial resources
Budget & financial plan
No. of budgets approved by the Member Forum
Partnerships (local)
Local partnerships
No. of joint initiatives with partner organizations

Rate of member satisfaction
Results
Annual report
No. of annual reports approved by the Member Forum
Page 32 of 32

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 Final Draft July 2010

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A partnership to champion sustainability in Abu Dhabi

Strategy 2011/2013 (Final draft)

From reporting to action

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

Our Commitment: the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group Declaration .................................................................. 7

Our Values and Principles ................................................................................................................................................ 8

Our Stakeholders ............................................................................................................................................................... 9

Our Sustainability Context............................................................................................................................................. 10

ADSG Strategy (2011-2013) .......................................................................................................................................... 15

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group (ADSG)

Improving knowledge (through a portal, a newsletter, publications and seminars),

Developing capabilities (through training, one-on-one support, and benchmarking)

Sharing experience (through forums and meetings)

Facilitating Advocacy (through flagship programs)

Building networks (through partnerships with local and international organizations)

Expanding the member network (through outreach activities)

Economic needs (access to wealth to cover, at least, basic human needs)

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

The road travelled

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

On June 30th the ADSG is

Laying the foundations (2009)

The ADSG General

EAD issues its second

The ADSG Charter is

Reaching out (2010)

Masdar City, Urban Planning

The ADSG action plan

ADSG leads a Delegation

Moving from reporting to action (2011-2013)

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

1. Our Commitment: the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group Declaration

ABU DHABI SUSTAINABILITY GROUP

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

2. Our Values and Principles

We are answerable about our impacts on our stakeholders.

We ensure the timely and accurate disclosure on all material issues.

AccountAbility Principles Standard (2008). http://www.accountability.org/uploadedFiles/publications/AA1000APS%202008.pdf

OECD Principles of corporate governance, (2004). http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/18/31557724.pdf

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

Priority issues for

Priority Issues for

To achieve a critical mass

Forum Quarterly meetings

increase the impact

Forum Quarterly meetings

Inform the public

Visibility in national and

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

4. Our Sustainability Context

The Abu Dhabi Policy Agenda 2030

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

SUMMARY OF PESTLE ANALYSIS

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

SUMMARY OF PESTLE ANALYSIS

ADSG Strategy 2011-2013 (Final draft)

SUMMARY OF SWOT ANALYSIS

Public-private partnership: Our members are government,

Sector leaders: Our members are some of the most prominent

Active members: Some of our members are very proactive and

Peer pressure: Our members are induced into a behavior of

Mutual support: Our members can rely on a network of