Leading UAE-based technology and sustainability-driven facilities management (FM) company Farnek, has been awarded the Dubai Chamber Advanced CSR Label, the first FM company to achieve the accolade, during a ceremony at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry headquarters.

To achieve advanced status, Farnek’s approach to CSR and sustainability was assessed across seven areas, including workplace, marketplace, community and environment, in addition to stakeholders’ involvement, steering and governance.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, His Excellency Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry applauded companies for enhancing their image and reputation in the market and setting an example for others to follow.

He added that the Dubai Chamber had created four specialised categories, in an effort to recognise a wider range of organisations that were excelling in adopting best CSR practice in line with international standards, focusing on four areas, namely, workplace, marketplace, community and environment.

The range of activities and programs Farnek implemented in these areas was recognised by the Dubai Chamber with assessors providing particular praise for Farnek’s employee retention strategy, staff development and leadership program, as well as employee wellbeing and happiness thanks to a proactive ‘Employee Happiness Committee’.

Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek, said, “Sustainability and safety as well as employee welfare and development, are fundamental to our business and it is gratifying to be the first FM company to be recognised with the Dubai Chamber Advanced CSR Label.

“Our CSR strategy has contributed significantly to four decades of business accomplishment in the UAE and will undoubtedly underpin our corporate strategy through the next forty years,” he added.

Farnek’s corporate integrity, service quality and safety through ISO 9001 (quality management), energy efficiency and waste reduction were other areas of the business that were highly commended.

Nadia Ibrahim, Head of Consultancy at Farnek, commented, “We will now be widely recognised as having the highest metric for assessing our own performance and compliance with quality standards and international best practice.”

The Label serves as an assessment and development tool, enabling companies to implement CSR best practices and analyse their strategies and regulations in their efforts to curb the effects of their commercial activities on the environment and the community. It can also be used in internal audits to evaluate and develop CSR policies.

Founded in 2004, the Dubai Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) is the first institution of its kind in the UAE that plays a leading role in promoting corporate social responsibility. The Centre encourages member companies of the Chamber to adopt responsible business practices, which ultimately enhance their performance and competitiveness.