Adnec Group aims to achieve net zero by 2045 with new strategies

Company affirms commitment to cutting carbon emissions by 5 per cent annually

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, belonging to the Adnec group, hosts a number of events every year. Victor Besa / The National

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) Group aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, ahead of the UAE’s 2050 target.

The company has unveiled new initiatives and strategies including efficient energy management, recycling and sustainable community impact to achieve the goal.

The strategy also covers issues including effective corporate governance, empowerment and relationships with partners, Adnec said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We, at Adnec Group, are keen to strengthen our efforts to achieve sustainability across all of our sectors of operation, in accordance with our long-term strategy,” said Humaid Al Dhaheri, managing director and chief executive of Adnec.

Adnec Group, owned by Abu Dhabi’s holding company ADQ, has venues, hotels, food and beverage companies, as well as media and services companies in its portfolio. It owns the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in the UAE capital as well as ExCeL London, the largest international exhibition and convention centre in London.

The group said it reduced its carbon footprint by recycling 49 per cent of the waste generated from its operations during 2022 and is using the remaining waste in energy generation.

It reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 10,000 tonnes through recycling, it said. The total recycled materials in the group's centres amounted to 4,434.11 tonnes over the past 10 years, the company said.

In 2022, ExCeL London also became the first building in the UK to achieve carbon neutrality, according to the “PAS 2060 standard for carbon neutrality”, an internationally recognised specification for carbon neutrality, it added.

ExCeL London's dependence on generating electricity from renewable energy sources also reached 100 per cent. It also achieved success in using 32 per cent of waste in fuel production.

Adnec said it was committed to reducing carbon emissions by 5 per cent annually and reducing energy consumption by the same percentage in all its operations. To achieve this, the group is providing the latest energy-saving technology in all its centres and relying more on solar power.

The UAE, which is hosting the Cop28 climate conference this month, has been investing heavily in renewable energy projects to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

It approved an updated version of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the development of the National Hydrogen Strategy in July.

As part of the plan, the UAE aims to invest Dh200 billion ($54 billion) by 2030 to ensure energy demand is met while sustaining economic growth.