DMCC – the world’s flagship free zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise – has signed a cluster of agreements with key industry leaders and sustainability platforms to significantly bolster the services available through its recently-launched Sustainability Hub.
Three partnership and collaboration agreements were entered into with S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI) and S&P Global Sustainable1, and the leading sustainability platforms Earthly and Climate Essentials, to provide DMCC Sustainability Hub members with privileged access to a range of tools, resources and networks to drive forward ESG practices.
Through these agreements, DMCC Sustainability Hub aims to strengthen its status as the leading ESG ecosystem in the region, with a range of exclusive rates, industry-leading insights and value-added services. These will drive the Hub’s support of members in implementing long-term emissions reductions targets in line with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 ambitions, including elements laid out in the Federal Decree announced in August 2024 such as emission reduction targets, mandatory reporting, and encouraging innovation. Benefits pioneered through the Hub will be scaled up and extended throughout DMCC’s community of almost 25,000 members and eventually at the global level.
The collaboration agreement with SPGMI and S&P Global Sustainable1 will provide members with access to one of the world’s leading sustainability assessment tools, the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) produced and issued by S&P Global Sustainable1. The CSA helps companies make the link between sustainability and their business strategies and benchmark their progress against peers. Members will also be able to better understand how to report their sustainability performance in line with global reporting frameworks using its Sustainability Starter Pack.
Climate Essentials will provide tools to calculate carbon footprints across all three scopes, in accordance with leading climate science protocols, on an accessible and easy-to-use platform that democratises access to critical ESG data for SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Earthly will support members with tailored carbon management strategies and access to verified carbon offset projects via its platform, enabling them to invest in high-integrity nature-based solutions that remove carbon, restore biodiversity, and support local communities.
Feryal Ahmadi, Chief Operating Officer, DMCC, said: “We launched the DMCC Sustainability Hub with the aim of maximising the positive impact across DMCC’s community of almost 25,000 members. With key resources from S&P Global’s Market Intelligence and Sustainable1 businesses, Earthly and Climate Essentials we will broaden our community’s access to critical ESG tools, in turn, ensuring that Dubai remains a central part of the conversation on addressing climate action. By helping businesses deepen their understanding of their ESG standing and the steps they can take to reduce their carbon emissions, we significantly support the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 ambitions.”
Lorenzo Curci, Co-founder and CCO of Earthly, said: “We are delighted to partner with DMCC Sustainability Hub in this latest pioneering agreement. Nature-based solutions, such as reforestation, wetland restoration, and regenerative agriculture, are critical in the fight against climate change. According to the IPCC, these approaches could provide up to one-third of the emissions reductions needed by 2030 to keep global warming below 1.5°C. By prioritising nature-based projects, Earthly not only helps companies meet their sustainability goals but also contributes to the global effort to combat climate change, protect ecosystems and create a more resilient planet for future generations.”
Daniela Menzky, Founder and CEO of Climate Essentials, said: “We are overjoyed to be part of the DMCC Sustainability Hub. Since Climate Essentials was founded in 2019, we have been relentlessly striving to ensure that organisations have the tools to support their climate and decarbonisation ambitions. Our partnership with DMCC allows us to continue that mission in one of the most exciting markets in the world right now. We look forward to supporting any and all businesses in the Hub through our platform, resources and consultancy support, so that the industry leaders in Dubai and the wider region are best placed to combat the climate pressures that we collectively face.”
Launched in March 2024, the DMCC Sustainability Hub is a network of industry leaders from within DMCC’s business district who collectively drive meaningful ESG change and impact. Alongside a programme of meetings, networking and mentorship opportunities, the Hub offers access to finance through ESG-focused venture capital companies and accelerator programmes. It is run in partnership with C3, a UAE-based social enterprise.
More information on the agreements:
Climate Essentials: In partnership with DMCC, Climate Essentials will enhance the way in which DMCC members measure, track and reduce their carbon emissions. The innovative platform includes an intuitive analytics dashboard, a pathway to net zero, and access to climate experts, peer support, and monthly educational webinars. Climate Essentials also offers nature-based solutions for carbon offsetting, ensuring a holistic approach to sustainability and helping members manage their carbon footprint effectively.
Earthly: Earthly, a google-backed start-up, aims to protect and restore over 1% of the planet by 2030. By assessing projects across 100+ data points, Earthly will ensure DMCC members make trustworthy investments that address carbon removal, biodiversity and social impact. Through Earthly’s platform, members will also have access to preselected, high-quality nature-based projects and the opportunity to engage in tailored ESG-related workshops throughout the year.
S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPGMI)*: DMCC’s collaboration with SPGMI will provide its members with access to sustainability tools such as the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) and the Sustainability Starter Pack. At a preferential rate, these resources will allow companies to measure and manage their ESG performance, identify improvement areas and better align with relevant global regulatory frameworks. In addition to its sustainable platforms, SPGMI offers a robust set of sustainability solutions.
*S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC and S&P Global Sustainable1 are separate, independent businesses of S&P Global. S&P Global is committed to providing transparency to the market through high-quality independent opinions. Safeguarding the quality, independence and integrity of Content is embedded in its culture and at the core of everything S&P Global does. Accordingly, S&P Global has developed measures to identify, eliminate and/or minimize potential conflicts of interest for Sustainable1 as an organization and for individual employees. Such measures include, without limitation, establishing a clear separation between the activities and interactions of its analytical teams and non-analytical teams; email surveillance by compliance teams; and policy role designations. S&P Global employees are subject to mandatory annual training and attestations and must adhere to their relevant policies, including without limit, as applicable the Sustainable1 Independence and Objectivity Policy, the Sustainable1 Code of Conduct, the S&P Global Code of Business Ethics and any other related policies.
