Sustainability has become an important factor and a necessity for most entities across sectors including facilities management as various countries continue to set ambitious targets for a greener future. Many FM companies are ramping up their efforts and strategising to improve processes, pursue growth and achieve environmental, social and economic sustainability. Some of the leading companies share their approach to sustainable facilities management.

FM service organisations play a crucial role in shaping the environment and communities due to their impact on energy consumption, water, waste management, etc. So, it is imperative for FM service organisations to embed environmental and social policies as part of the corporate governance to drive business practices to be inclusive of the environment and communities that thrive in this environment, says Dr. Ansari, Group CEO, Adeeb Group. As the real estate and built environment contributes nearly 37% of the greenhouse gas emissions, and the FM Service organisations are custodians of the built environment, the adoption of ESG becomes increasingly vital, he states.

“Adeeb Group, in alignment with the UAE’s national strategy of Net-Zero 2050, has transformed its vision to enable this national target by incorporating sustainable practices and green technologies as part of its operation,” says Dr. Ansari. The company recently established an Energy Service Company (ESCO) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that demonstrates its commitment to sustainability, he adds.

At Sodexo|Kelvin, sustainability is embedded in the strategic plan for 2025. In response to the growing importance of sustainability and ESG considerations, the company has aligned its strategy with the UAE's sustainability targets, which allows it to play a crucial role in driving positive change and contribute to the country's sustainability agenda, says Hassene Ben Thabet, General Manager, Sodexo, UAE.

“Recently, the company joined the UAE Alliance for Climate Action (UACA), also signing the Climate Action pledge which solidifies our commitment to environmental sustainability and sets us on a path to full reporting of greenhouse gas emissions across our operations,” he notes.

Waste management is one of the most important components of sustainable facilities management. Dulsco Environment’s environmental solutions help their customers divert as much waste as possible away from landfill and put resources to good use, having already achieved significant results, says John Grainger, COO, Dulsco Environment. The company continues to invest in new technology and facilities that help divert waste from landfill and support their clients’ sustainability goals. The company’s advanced recycling and processing facilities include a material recovery facility, a liquid treatment plant, construction & demolition waste recycling plants and refuse derived fuel plant, which help reduce waste going to landfills and protect the environment.

Grainger says, “Dulsco Environment is fully committed to and aligned with UAE sustainability goals set by the government. We have pledged our support for initiatives such as the Net Zero 2050 Strategy, Aluminium Recycling Coalition, the Plantation of Mangroves and of course, the 2023 Year of Sustainability, which puts recycling and waste management under the spotlight like never before.”

The company has also calculated and reported on its carbon emissions with a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint as well as that of its clients through increased recycling and recovery activities, he remarks.

Creating long-term value for clients

While investment remains a concern in the sector, Adeeb Group is adopting a balanced and inclusive approach to manage their environmental, social, and corporate objectives, which enables them to strategically manage their operation and optimise energy, water, and waste through innovative and sustainable practices, that require some form of capital investment that is recovered through a reduction in the operational expenditure, says Dr. Ansari.

They are presenting asset retrofit strategies to clients to perform enhancements to underperforming assets, and or replace with efficient assets as they fail using capital funding that will reduce their operating costs, and also create economic opportunities for Adeeb Group, he states.

“Persuading stakeholders to make the initial investment is challenging, and it is important to present the value-add propositions to our clients that demonstrate value over the life of the asset.” Cost-effectiveness varies based on scale, regional context, and resource availability, and tailoring our approach ensures economically viable and environmentally impactful solutions.

By prioritising sustainability in their operations, Sodexo aims to create long-term value for their clients, employees, and the communities they serve, says Thabet. For instance, they have made significant strides in reducing chemical usage by 80% through their innovative chemical-free cleaning approach, which not only minimises risk assessments but also fosters a healthier workplace environment, he comments.

“Innovation is key to sustainability, and we are constantly finding ways to implement innovative solutions for our clients to address their challenges,” he says, also giving an example of their water dispensers that utilise advanced technology that creates water from the air, reducing the need for traditional water sources.

Energy management key to improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact

Adeeb Group's energy services arm enables it to offer comprehensive and scalable energy management programmes. Starting with walkthrough audits, it extend its services to detailed studies, tailoring their approach to meet each client's specific needs, says Dr. Ansari.

The company develops customised sustainable business cases for clients committing to long-term energy reduction and cost optimisation. Their programmes identify areas for improvement, optimise energy consumption and costs, reducing the carbon footprint, by implementing sustainable solutions, he says. “Through thorough assessments, data analysis, and strategic recommendations, we empower clients to make informed decisions to improve the performance of the built," adds Dr. Ansari.

To provide the right foundations for effective energy management, Sodexo designs solutions around five core pillars that represent key areas where they can help their clients improve their energy performance, remarks Thabet. This includes proactively working with clients to understand their energy and sustainability strategy and translate into effective implementation; Helping clients to identify and navigate any required legislation to ensure energy and sustainability compliance; Providing cost-effective procurement of utilities, managing risk and surety of cost control; Enabling a data-driven approach to understand energy consumption, profiling and reporting to assist in areas such as accurate forecasting; And exploring and implementing innovative technologies to reduce energy consumption in a sustainable manner.

Overcoming challenges to drive positive change

Implementing sustainability and ESG goals is a challenge given the scale and complexity of the environmental problem. “As this is a 'major change' in the way we live and businesses operate, and 'change' inevitably presents challenges such as investment, regulation and standards, stakeholder engagement, behaviour management, performance measurement, and resistance to change,” notes Dr. Ansari.

To overcome this challenge, the company strives to collaborate with their value-chain, and regulators, to enhance capabilities and present creative strategies with value-add propositions to their clients, demonstrating ROI to influence change whilst promoting a culture of sustainability, he adds. “Engaging with all stakeholders including our employees at all levels is key to ensuring their involvement in delivering sustainable outcomes,” continues Dr. Ansari. The company offers ESCO programmes that are scalable, and initiatives that require investment and can be recovered in the short and long term.

While many businesses focus on achieving their ESG commitments, the challenge to balance the need for costeffectiveness with the need for environmental considerations cannot be ignored, says Thabet. Implementing sustainable practices often involves a significant initial investment, which can be difficult to justify when budgets are tight, he says, adding that facilities managers are not always equipped with the necessary knowledge, resources, or tools to effectively manage sustainability initiatives.

“By investing in sustainable practices and cutting-edge technologies, we strive to achieve a positive return on investment while making a lasting positive impact on the environment and society,” notes Thabet.

There are certain challenges in waste management and Dulsco continues to take steps to address issues such as poor source segregation, lack of awareness, cultural differences and, in some cases, lack of infrastructure within different property types, says Grainger. “With the UAE being home to more than 200 nationalities, getting everybody on the same page can be a challenge as different cultures have varying opinions and understanding of what waste segregation means. What’s needed here is a country-wide policy that supports common goals and one that everybody understands the basics and is encouraged to think green, take an interest in their role in environmental protection and, ultimately, play a bigger part in safeguarding our environment,” he explains.

Again, education and awareness are vital tools to ensure proper waste management. Grainger says, “Sustainability, environmental protection and effective waste management are everybody’s responsibility, and we are proud to lead by example by educating, supporting clients and individuals about the part they can play.”

The company has launched various initiatives to make recycling more rewarding. This includes the Recycling Bus that pays frequent visits to schools, communities and businesses. Their New, Old and Reloved online store that showcases how scrap metal, wood and other items can be made into unique items of furniture and household accents, has been a great success, says the COO. “We would like to see more two- or three-bin systems where appropriate, to encourage people to segregate waste produced at their homes or places of work.”

Technology driving efficiencies

Technology plays a pivotal role in this digital data-driven world, enabling companies to collect, monitor, and analyse data on energy consumption, water usage and waste generation, identify areas for improving the performance of the assets and service levels, etc. Incorporating IoT, AI, and enhancing BMS capabilities along with the use of the CaFM system provides realtime information for analysis and informed decision-making, says Dr. Ansari. “At Adeeb Group, we recognise technology as a fundamental enabler of our sustainability and ESG objectives, so we continue to invest in technology and digitisation of our workflows, and effective data management to drive efficiency within our organisation and of our clients.”

As the FM landscape evolves, innovative digital tools and data analytics have revolutionised the way they operate, says Thabet. “The integration of advanced technologies such as CaFM allows us to closely monitor and optimise our processes with precision, providing us with enhanced transparency and visibility across our operations. This empowers us to continuously improve our sustainability performance and hold ourselves accountable for our environmental responsibilities,” he emphasises.

As the FM landscape evolves, innovative digital tools and data analytics have revolutionised the way they operate, says Thabet. “The integration of advanced technologies such as CaFM allows us to closely monitor and optimise our processes with precision, providing us with enhanced transparency and visibility across our operations. This empowers us to continuously improve our sustainability performance and hold ourselves accountable for our environmental responsibilities,” he emphasises.